ambulance

ambulance
ambulance (n.) 1809, "mobile or field hospital," from Fr. (hôpital) ambulant, lit. "walking (hospital)," from L. ambulantem (nom. ambulans), prp. of ambulare "to walk" (see AMBLE (Cf. amble)). The word was not common in English until the meaning transferred from "field hospital" to "vehicle for conveying wounded from field" (1854) during the Crimean War. In late 19c. U.S. the word was used dialectally to mean "prairie wagon." Ambulance-chaser as a contemptuous term for a type of lawyer dates from 1897.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • ambulance — [ ɑ̃bylɑ̃s ] n. f. • 1752; de ambulant 1 ♦ Anciennt (jusqu en 1940) Hôpital militaire ambulant; formation sanitaire équipée de voitures légères, chargée des premiers soins aux blessés. « Des ambulances qui étaient dirigées par des médecins… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Ambulance — au Québec (Canada) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ambulance — Am bu*lance, n. [F. ambulance, h[^o]pital ambulant, fr. L. ambulare to walk. See {Amble}.] (Mil.) (a) A field hospital, so organized as to follow an army in its movements, and intended to succor the wounded as soon as possible. Often used… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ambulance — (fr., spr. Angbülangs), so v.w. Fliegendes Lazareth, s. u. Hospital, vgl. Sanitätscompagnie …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Ambulance — (frz., –bülangs), das Feldlazareth im Kriege, hinter der Schlachtlinie, aufgestellt u. so eingerichtet, daß es möglichst schnell transportirt werden kann; es ist durch rothe Fahnen bezeichnet, damit der Feind es nicht absichtlich mit dem… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • ambulance — [n] emergency vehicle EMS, hospital wagon, rescue, transport; concept 505 …   New thesaurus

  • ambulance — ► NOUN ▪ a vehicle equipped for taking sick or injured people to and from hospital. ORIGIN French, from hôpital ambulant mobile field hospital , from Latin ambulare walk …   English terms dictionary

  • ambulance — [am′byə ləns, am′byo͞oləns] n. [Fr < ( hôpital) ambulant < prp. of L ambulare: see AMBLE] 1. Obs. a mobile field hospital 2. a specially equipped automobile or other vehicle for carrying the sick or wounded …   English World dictionary

  • Ambulance — For other uses, see Ambulance (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • ambulance — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ air, field, land ▪ He had to be flown by air ambulance to a Las Vegas hospital. ▪ emergency (esp. BrE) ▪ waiting …   Collocations dictionary

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