A siege is a military or police operation in which soldiers or police surround a place in order to force the people there to come out or give up control of the place.
We must do everything possible to lift the siege.
They are hopeful of bringing the siege to a peaceful conclusion.
The journalists found a city virtually under siege.
Synonyms: blockade, encirclement, besiegement More Synonyms of siege
2. See also state of siege
3.
See to lay siege to something
4.
See under siege
siege in British English
(siːdʒ)
noun
1.
a.
the offensive operations carried out to capture a fortified place by surrounding it, severing its communications and supply lines, and deploying weapons against it
b.
(as modifier)
siege warfare
2.
a persistent attempt to gain something
3.
a long tedious period, as of illness, etc
4. obsolete
a seat or throne
5. lay siege to
verb
6. (transitive)
to besiege or assail
Word origin
C13: from Old French sege a seat, from Vulgar Latin sēdicāre (unattested) to sit down, from Latin sedēre
siege in American English
(sidʒ)
noun
1.
the encirclement of a fortified place by an opposing armed force intending to take it, usually by blockade and bombardment
2.
any persistent attempt to gain control, overcome opposition, etc.
3. US
a long, distressing or wearying period
a siege of illness
4. Obsolete
a seat; throne
verb transitiveWord forms: sieged or ˈsieging
5.
besiege
Idioms:
lay siege to
Word origin
ME sege < OFr siege, aphetic < *assiege < VL *absedium, for L obsidium, siege, blockade, ambush < obsidere, to besiege < ob-, against + sedere, to sit; (sense 4) ME sege < OFr < VL *sedicum < *sedicare, to set < L sedere, to sit
Examples of 'siege' in a sentence
siege
London is not a city under siege.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We have to guard against the siege mentality.
Christianity Today (2000)
Life does not have to be one long siege.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The siege ended when police forced their way into the house and shot him.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Do you know what the longest military siege in history was?
The Sun (2010)
But it seems the command and control of this siege operation lacked all those things.
The Sun (2012)
It feels like the whole city is under siege.
The Sun (2015)
But the train is equipped to withstand a long siege.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The siege mentality has brought a togetherness that would have been unimaginable a matter of months ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The town has been under siege by government forces since July.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Suddenly, the siege began to lift in no uncertain fashion.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Special forces end the siege, not knowing if the next moment will be their last.
The Sun (2006)
How can anyone talk when they haven't lifted the siege?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Phnom Penh was a city under siege.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The siege was the longest in British penal history.
The Sun (2014)
Most recently, he served a prison sentence for his part in an armed siege led by two escaped criminals.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They kept on coming, many after police ended the siege at the Bataclan concert.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The hotel staff are involved in an armed siege (above) in the season finale.
The Sun (2008)
And as a crash course in Roman siege tactics and military engineering, it could hardly be bettered.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I don't want people coming into this city feeling that they've walked into siege town.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
siege
British English: siege NOUN
A siege is a military or police operation in which soldiers or police surround a place in order to force the people there to come out or give up control of the place.
We must do everything possible to lift the siege.
American English: siege
Brazilian Portuguese: sítio
Chinese: 包围
European Spanish: cerco
French: siège
German: Belagerung
Italian: assedio
Japanese: 包囲
Korean: 포위
European Portuguese: sítio
Latin American Spanish: cerco
All related terms of 'siege'
under siege
If someone or something is under siege , they are being severely criticized or put under a great deal of pressure.
siege economy
an economy in which the export of capital is limited and import controls are imposed
siege warfare
the use of offensive operations carried out to capture a fortified place by surrounding it, severing its communications and supply lines, and deploying weapons against it
lay siege to
to besiege (a city, etc)
siege mentality
If a group of people have a siege mentality , they think that other people are constantly trying to harm or defeat them, and so they care only about protecting themselves.
Siege Perilous
(in Arthurian legend ) the seat at the Round Table that could be filled only by the knight destined to find the Holy Grail and that was fatal to anyone else
state of siege
A state of siege is a situation in which a government or other authority puts restrictions on the movement of people into or out of a country, town , or building .
to lay siege to something
If police , soldiers , or journalists lay siege to a place, they surround it in order to force the people there to come out or give up control of the place.
Chinese translation of 'siege'
siege
(siːdʒ)
n(c)
围(圍)困 (wéikùn)
to lift a siege解围(圍) (jiěwéi)
to be under siege被围(圍)困 (bèi wéikùn)
to lay siege to[police, soldiers]围(圍)攻 (wéigōng) [journalists]包围(圍) (bāowéi)
(noun)
Definition
a similar operation carried out by police, for example to force people out of a place
We must do everything possible to lift the siege.
Synonyms
blockade
They agreed to lift their blockades of main roads.