ambulance
AM-byuh-luhns
Ambulance (noun) means a vehicle equipped to carry sick or injured people to a hospital, usually with emergency medical staff aboard. Example: “Drivers pulled over to let the ambulance pass, its blue lights flashing.”
noun
1
A vehicle equipped to carry sick or injured people to a hospital, usually with emergency medical staff aboard.
"Drivers pulled over to let the ambulance pass, its blue lights flashing."
"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."
— Tobi Thomas, NHS bracing for worst ever winter crisis in next fortnight amid rising flu cases (2025)
"The ambulance arrived within minutes and rushed him to the emergency room."
"Someone called an ambulance as soon as she collapsed."
How to use ambulance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe emergency vehicle used to rush sick or injured people to hospital.
Common pairings
call an ambulance
ambulance crew
ambulance siren
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Word forms
- Plural
- ambulances
- Third person singular
- ambulances
- Past tense
- ambulanced
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Drivers pulled over to let the _____ pass, its blue lights flashing.
Etymology
Borrowed from French ambulance, shortened from hopital ambulant ("mobile hospital"), from Latin ambulare, "to walk about".
Rhymes for ambulance
See all rhymes for ambulance →Frequently asked questions
What does “ambulance” mean?
The word “ambulance” means a vehicle equipped to carry sick or injured people to a hospital, usually with emergency medical staff aboard. In plain terms, the emergency vehicle used to rush sick or injured people to hospital.
How do you pronounce “ambulance”?
“Ambulance” is pronounced AM-byuh-luhns (/ˈæm.bjə.ləns/ in IPA).
How do you use “ambulance” in a sentence?
Here is “ambulance” used in a sentence: “The ambulance arrived within minutes and rushed him to the emergency room.”
What part of speech is “ambulance”?
“Ambulance” is a noun.
Where does the word “ambulance” come from?
The word “ambulance” comes from Latin. Borrowed from French ambulance, shortened from hopital ambulant ("mobile hospital"), from Latin ambulare, "to walk about".
Is “ambulance” a common word?
“Ambulance” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between an ambulance and a paramedic?
An ambulance is the vehicle equipped to carry sick or injured people to hospital, while a paramedic is a trained emergency medical professional who often staffs it. In everyday speech people sometimes say the ambulance arrived when they mean the crew.
Why is ambulance written backwards on the front of the vehicle?
The word ambulance is often printed mirror-reversed on the front of the vehicle so that drivers ahead can read it correctly in their rear-view mirrors. This helps them identify the vehicle quickly and move aside.
Is it call an ambulance or call for an ambulance?
Both are grammatical, but call an ambulance is the more common, direct phrase in an emergency. Call for an ambulance slightly emphasises the request being made to the emergency service rather than the vehicle itself.
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