siege — a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender
Pronunciation (IPA): /siːdʒ/
Example Sentences
- The pizza delivery guy felt like he was under siege when 20 hungry teenagers surrounded him.
- My mom laid siege to my messy room until I finally cleaned it.
- The ancient city withstood a six-month siege before falling to the enemy.
siege
NOUN[/siːdʒ/]
a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender
The enemy army surrounded the castle, cutting off all escapes to begin the siege.
SI(sit) + EGE(edge) — a siege is an army sitting at the edge of the castle, waiting for the enemy to starve.
The enemy destroyed the only bridge, trapping the castle in a long siege.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'siege' meaning 'seat' or 'place to sit', derived from Latin 'sedere' meaning 'to sit'. The military sense developed because a besieging army would establish a seated position around a fortified location.
Breakdown
Old French 'siege' (seat/sitting position) < Latin 'sedere' (to sit) = siege (military blockade where forces 'sit' around a location)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The pizza delivery guy felt like he was under siege when 20 hungry teenagers surrounded him.”
“My mom laid siege to my messy room until I finally cleaned it.”
“The ancient city withstood a six-month siege before falling to the enemy.”
“The celebrity's house was under siege by paparazzi all week.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.