siege en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [sɪi̯d͡ʒ]
- (US) audio
- /siːd͡ʒ/
Etymology
From Middle English sege, from Old French sege, siege, seige (modern French siège), from Vulgar Latin *sēdicum, from Latin sēdicŭlum, sēdēcula (“small seat”), from Latin sēdēs (“seat”). The military sense of the term is derived from the notion of an army "sitting down" in front of its target.
Meanings
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Military action. ▸ A prolonged military assault or a blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition.
Liu Pang's general Han Hsin won the strategic city of Hsing-yang for him, but Hsiang-Yü put Liu Pang under siege there.
2001, Alfred S. Bradford, With Arrow, Sword, and Spear: A History of Warfare in the Ancient World, Praeger, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 145:The Peloponnesian war is a proper subject for history, the siege of Athens for an epic poem, and the death of Alcibiades for a tragedy.
1748, [David Hume], chapter 3, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 5:They sued for peace after the long siege.
- (US) Military action. ▸ A period of struggle or difficulty, especially from illness.
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(figuratively) Military action. ▸ A prolonged assault or attack.
But once again Hodgson's men found a way to get the result they required and there is a real air of respectability about their campaign even though they had to survive a first-half siege from a Ukraine side desperate for the win they needed to progress.
2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:
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(obsolete) A seat. ▸ A seat, especially as used by someone of importance or authority.
Now Merlyn said kyng Arthur / goo thow and aspye me in al this land l knyghtes whiche ben of most prowesse & worship / within short tyme merlyn had founde suche knyȝtes[…]Thenne the Bisshop of Caunterbury was fette and he blessid the syeges with grete Royalte and deuoycyon / and there sette the viij and xx knyghtes in her syeges
1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “ij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book V:To th'vpper part, where was aduaunced hye / A stately siege of soueraigne maiestye; / And thereon sat a woman gorgeous gay[…].
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- (obsolete) A seat. ▸ An ecclesiastical see.
- (obsolete) A seat. ▸ The place where one has his seat; a home, residence, domain, empire.
- A seat. ▸ The seat of a heron while looking out for prey.
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(collective) A seat. ▸ A flock of herons.
A siege of herons feeds in the shallows.
2000, Phil Cousineau, The Book of Roads, San Francisco, CA: Sisyphus Press, page 144:And whoever saw a siege of herons?
1954 June, John Welman, Blackwoods Magazine, Blackwood Pillans and Wilson, page 484:A siege of herons blanketed the quays
2002, Richard Matthews, The Mill Is Burning, Grove Press, page 19:
- (obsolete) A seat. ▸ A toilet seat.
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(obsolete) A seat. ▸ The anus; the rectum.
Another ground were certain holes or cavities observable about the siege; which being perceived in males, made some conceive there might be also a feminine nature in them.
1650, Thomas Browne, chapter III, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 17:
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(obsolete) A seat. ▸ Excrements, stool, fecal matter.
Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How cam'st thou / to be the siege of this moon-calf? Can he vent Trinculos?
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
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(obsolete) A seat. ▸ Rank; grade; station; estimation.
I fetch my life and being / From men of royal siege.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- (obsolete) A seat. ▸ The floor of a glass-furnace.
- (obsolete) A place with a toilet seat: an outhouse; a lavatory.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sieges | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| syege | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
siege engine · siege piece · siegehouse · siegework · state of siege · siege mentality · siegecraft · ensiege · siege train · Siege Perilous · lay siege · assiege · sieger · siegeless · countersiege · siege weapon · siegelike · siege tower · besiege · siege warfare
Synonyms
Translations (93)
eu setio (military blockade of settlement) · km ការឡោមព័ទ្ធ (military blockade of settlement) · cmn 攻城戰 /攻城战 (military blockade of settlement) · uk блока́да (military blockade of settlement) · cmn 圍困 /围困 (military blockade of settlement) · ar مُحَاصَرَة (military blockade of settlement) · ky курчоо (military blockade of settlement) · nb beleiring (military blockade of settlement) · pt cerco (military blockade of settlement) · ar حِصَار (military blockade of settlement) · gl sitio (military blockade of settlement) · kk қамау (military blockade of settlement) · tg муҳосира (military blockade of settlement) · hi घेरा (military blockade of settlement) · fr siège (military blockade of settlement) · it assedio (military blockade of settlement) · nl beleg (military blockade of settlement) · cy gwarchae (military blockade of settlement) · ru блока́да (military blockade of settlement) · az mühasirə (military blockade of settlement) · uk обло́га (military blockade of settlement) · io siejo (military blockade of settlement) · la obsessiō (military blockade of settlement) · ka ბლოკადა (military blockade of settlement) · ka ალყა (military blockade of settlement) · ast asediu (military blockade of settlement) · tg муҳосара (military blockade of settlement) · ga léigear (military blockade of settlement) · am መከበብ (military blockade of settlement) · ms pengepungan (military blockade of settlement) · sv belägring (military blockade of settlement) · gl cerco (military blockade of settlement) · ca setge (military blockade of settlement) · kk қоршау (military blockade of settlement) · nn omleiring (military blockade of settlement) · ja 包囲 (military blockade of settlement) · tr muhasara (military blockade of settlement) · ru оса́да (military blockade of settlement) · sl obleganje (military blockade of settlement) · fi piiritys (military blockade of settlement) · fa محاصره (military blockade of settlement) · grc πολιορκία (military blockade of settlement) · ps محاصره (military blockade of settlement) · af beleëring (military blockade of settlement) · vi sự bao vây (military blockade of settlement) · pt assédio (military blockade of settlement) · eo sieĝo (military blockade of settlement) · be блака́да (military blockade of settlement) · kk қамалау (military blockade of settlement) · lv aplenkums (military blockade of settlement) · vi sự phong tỏa (military blockade of settlement) · da belejring (military blockade of settlement) · ro asediu (military blockade of settlement) · ko 공성전 (military blockade of settlement) · es asedio (military blockade of settlement) · sq rrethim (military blockade of settlement) · mk опсада (military blockade of settlement) · is umsátur (military blockade of settlement) · hy պաշարում (military blockade of settlement) · sh ȍpsada (military blockade of settlement) · hi घेराबंदी (military blockade of settlement) · cs obležení (military blockade of settlement) · nl belegering (military blockade of settlement) · et piiramine (military blockade of settlement) · af beleg (military blockade of settlement) · he מָצוֹר (military blockade of settlement) · la obsidiō (military blockade of settlement) · cmn 圍城 /围城 (military blockade of settlement) · uz muhosara (military blockade of settlement) · sk obliehanie (military blockade of settlement) · hu ostrom (military blockade of settlement) · bg обса́да (military blockade of settlement) · es sitio (military blockade of settlement) · lt apgula (military blockade of settlement) · ja 攻城戦 (military blockade of settlement) · ur گھِیرا (military blockade of settlement) · id pengepungan (military blockade of settlement) · tr kuşatma (military blockade of settlement) · pt sítio (military blockade of settlement) · cmn 包圍戰 /包围战 (military blockade of settlement) · pl oblężenie (military blockade of settlement) · el πολιορκία (military blockade of settlement) · th การล้อม (military blockade of settlement) · is herkví (military blockade of settlement) · gl asedio (military blockade of settlement) · de Belagerung (military blockade of settlement) · br seziz (military blockade of settlement) · ky камоо (military blockade of settlement) · gd sèist (military blockade of settlement) · ko 포위 (military blockade of settlement) · sh о̏псада (military blockade of settlement) · be абло́га (military blockade of settlement) · ur محاصرہ (military blockade of settlement)