ambulance English · revision 90

+ ==Etymology==

+ Recorded from 1798 in the sense “mobile or field hospital”;^(Etymonline) the OED and Merriam-Webster date it to 1809.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) It is [[bor|fr|ambulance]], which replaced ''hôpital ambulant'' “walking hospital”,^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary) [[der|la|ambulāns|t=walking]], present participle of [[la|ambulāre|t=to walk, go about]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ The word became common in English when its sense moved from “field hospital” to “vehicle carrying the wounded from the field” during the Crimean War,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and in the early 20th century it was extended to civilian vehicles.^(Etymonline) Compare [[amble]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Noun==

+ '''ambulance'''

+

+ # A vehicle equipped to carry sick or injured people, usually to a hospital.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(historical)'' A mobile field hospital that follows an army.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Verb==

+ '''ambulance'''

+

+ # To carry by ambulance.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}