ambulance
gb/ˈæmbjələns/ us/ˈæmbjələns/
A2
English
mentőautó, mentő, betegszállító autó, betegszállító, mentőszolgálat, sebesültszállító jármű, sebesültszállító egység, tábori mentőegység
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
an ambulance; the ambulance; by ambulance
Someone dialed 911, and an ambulance arrived within minutes.
Valaki hívta a 112-t, és pár percen belül megérkezett a mentő.
He was taken to the hospital by ambulance after the crash.
A baleset után mentővel vitték kórházba.
The ambulance crew treated her breathing problems at the scene.
Learner examples
Please call an ambulance.
Legyen szíves, hívjon mentőt.
The ambulance took him to the hospital.
A mentő bevitte a kórházba.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *hospital car* or use *ambulance* for the hospital building rather than the vehicle.
Meaning
emergency medical vehicle
Collocations
call an ambulance
|an ambulance arrives
|wait for an ambulance
|an ambulance crew
|an ambulance siren
|take [someone] by ambulance
|ride in an ambulance
|an ambulance driver
|ambulance lights
|the back of the ambulance
Synonyms
emergency vehicle (Broader category; includes police cars and fire engines.)
Themes
health
|emergency
|transport
|public_services
Definition
A vehicle that takes injured or sick people to hospital.
A specially equipped vehicle used to take sick or injured people to hospital and to provide basic medical care on the way.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a non-emergency ambulance; transport by ambulance
The clinic arranged an ambulance to transfer him to a rehabilitation center.
A klinika betegszállító autót rendelt, hogy átszállítsák egy rehabilitációs központba.
Because she needed oxygen, she traveled home by ambulance rather than by car.
Mivel oxigénre volt szüksége, betegszállítóval vitték haza, nem személyautóval.
The hospital booked an ambulance for a scheduled transfer the next morning.
Learner examples
They arranged an ambulance for the transfer.
Betegszállító autót rendeltek az átszállításhoz.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume an ambulance is only used in emergencies; in many places it is also used for planned medical transport.
Meaning
medical transport vehicle
Collocations
non-emergency ambulance
|patient transport ambulance
|book an ambulance
|schedule ambulance transport
|transfer by ambulance
|private ambulance
|ambulance transport
|ambulance transfer
|ambulance booking
|medical transport
Synonyms
patient transport (Focuses on the service rather than the vehicle.)
Themes
health
|transport
|public_services
Definition
A vehicle that takes patients somewhere safely, not always in an emergency.
A vehicle used to transport a patient between places, especially when the person needs medical supervision but the situation is not an emergency.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
the ambulance service; call the ambulance
The ambulance was delayed because the local ambulance service was short-staffed.
A mentő azért késett, mert a helyi mentőszolgálat létszámhiánnyal küzdött.
She works for the ambulance service as a paramedic.
Mentősként dolgozik a mentőszolgálatnál.
The city invested in the ambulance service to reduce response times.
Learner examples
He works for the ambulance service.
A mentőszolgálatnál dolgozik.
Common mistake:
In some varieties of English, people say “call an ambulance” rather than “call the ambulance” when they mean the service.
Meaning
ambulance organization or service
Collocations
the ambulance service
|ambulance dispatch
|ambulance response time
|ambulance staff
|ambulance call-outs
|ambulance coverage
|ambulance control room
|ambulance service funding
|ambulance service workers
|local ambulance service
Synonyms
EMS (Initialism for 'emergency medical services'; common in North American English.)
Themes
health
|emergency
|public_services
Definition
The public service that sends ambulances to emergencies.
The organization that operates ambulances and provides emergency medical response in an area.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
field ambulance; ambulance unit
The wounded were carried back to the field ambulance for treatment.
A sebesülteket ellátásra visszavitték a tábori mentőegységhez.
The report described an ambulance unit assigned to evacuate casualties.
A jelentés egy, a sebesültek evakuálására kijelölt sebesültszállító egységet ismertetett.
A medevac helicopter served as an air ambulance during the operation.
Common mistake:
This sense is often misunderstood as always referring to a modern civilian ambulance; context usually makes the military meaning clear.
Meaning
military medical transport unit
Collocations
field ambulance
|ambulance unit
|ambulance corps
|medical evacuation
|casualty evacuation
|army ambulance
|ambulance detachment
|ambulance wagon
|evacuation ambulance
|front-line ambulance
Synonyms
medevac (Often refers specifically to evacuation by aircraft or the evacuation process.)
Themes
military
|health
|history
Definition
A military vehicle or team that takes wounded soldiers to medical help.
In military use, a vehicle or unit that evacuates wounded people from a battlefield to medical care.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ambulance
IPA
GB/ˈæmbjələns/
US/ˈæmbjələns/
Syllables & stress
am - bu - lance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (am)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ambulance
- Plural: ambulances
Word family
Expressions
air ambulance
1/ˈɛɹ ˈæmbjələns/
fixed phrase
medical transport by aircraft
A helicopter or plane that takes patients to hospital.
Examples
- An air ambulance flew the patient to a specialist hospital.
- Bad weather grounded the air ambulance for several hours.
- The island relies on an air ambulance for serious emergencies.
Learner examples
- An air ambulance took him to the city.
ambulance bay
1/ˈæmbjələns bˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
hospital area for ambulances
The place where ambulances stop at a hospital.
Examples
- Security kept the ambulance bay clear for incoming vehicles.
- They met the paramedics at the ambulance bay entrance.
- Construction blocked the ambulance bay for two days.
Learner examples
- Wait for me in the ambulance bay.
ambulance chaser
1/ˈæmbjələns t͡ʃˈeɪsɚ/
idiom
informal
lawyer seeking accident clients
A lawyer who tries to get clients from accidents in a rude or unfair way.
Examples
- He complained that ambulance chasers were calling him after the accident.
- The article criticized ambulance chasers who target vulnerable families.
- She refused to hire an ambulance chaser and chose a reputable firm.
ambulance chasing
1/ˈæmbjələns t͡ʃˈeɪsɪŋ/
idiom
informal
soliciting accident lawsuits
Trying to get accident victims as legal clients in an unfair way.
Examples
- The firm denied the allegations of ambulance chasing.
- He accused the lawyer of ambulance chasing after seeing the ad in the hospital.
- New rules were introduced to limit ambulance chasing.
ambulance crew
1/ˈæmbjələns kɹˈu/
fixed phrase
paramedics and ambulance staff
The people who work in an ambulance.
Examples
- The ambulance crew checked his blood pressure and oxygen level.
- An ambulance crew treated her at the scene before moving her.
- The ambulance crew asked bystanders to step back.
Learner examples
- The ambulance crew helped her.
ambulance driver
1/ˈæmbjələns dɹˈaɪvɚ/
fixed phrase
person who drives an ambulance
A person who drives an ambulance.
Examples
- The ambulance driver navigated through heavy traffic with the siren on.
- She worked nights as an ambulance driver during the pandemic.
- The ambulance driver parked outside the emergency entrance.
Learner examples
- My uncle is an ambulance driver.
ambulance service
1/ˈæmbjələns sˈɚvɪs/
fixed phrase
public emergency medical service
The service that sends ambulances to emergencies.
Examples
- The ambulance service warned people to call only for real emergencies.
- She joined the ambulance service after qualifying as a paramedic.
- Funding cuts affected the ambulance service across the region.
Learner examples
- The ambulance service arrived quickly.
call an ambulance
1/kˈɔl ən ˈæmbjələns/
fixed phrase
request emergency medical help
Phone for an ambulance to come.
Examples
- Call an ambulance—he’s having trouble breathing.
- We called an ambulance for her after she fainted at work.
- If the pain gets worse, call an ambulance immediately.
Learner examples
- Call an ambulance, please.
- I called an ambulance for him.