ambulance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An emergency vehicle designed for transporting seriously ill or injured people to a hospital.

   The NHS is bracing itself for its worst ever winter crisis descending in the next fortnight because of a worsening “flu-nami” that has left hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulances services under intense strain.

2. 2
   verb

   To transport by ambulance.

   Ambulancing patients with acute obstruction over cobble and rails should not be tolerated; better render the necessary service where the patient is found.

3. 3
   noun

   a vehicle that takes people to and from hospitals

4. 4
   noun

   A mobile field hospital.

5. 5
   noun

   A vehicle used for the transportation of dead people, typically to a mortuary.

6. 6
   noun

   Synonym of stretcher, a litter used for medical transport.

7. 7
   noun

   Synonym of covered wagon.

Etymology

Borrowed from French ambulance, which replaced hôpital ambulant (“moving hospital”) via the suffix -ance, from Latin ambulō (“to walk; to go about”).