siege
/siːdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /siːdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsēj also ˈsēzh/ (ame, mw)
siege — noun
- siegesingular
- siegesplural
1. a military operation in which an army surrounds a town, city, or fortified build
a military operation in which an army surrounds a town, city, or fortified building and cuts off supplies and escape routes, aiming to force the people inside to surrender
In 1346, King Edward III's forces laid siege to Calais for nearly a year.
laid siege to [place] — common collocation
During the siege, rebel soldiers cut off all water and food supplies to the town.
Elena's village endured a brutal siege that cut off all food supplies for months.
The Roman army broke the siege of the hill fort by attacking at dawn.
Journalist Omid reported from inside the besieged city during the six-month siege.
- blockade
focuses on cutting off supplies and movement, not necessarily involving direct attacks
- encirclement
emphasises the surrounding action rather than the overall operation
- relief
the breaking or lifting of a siege by an outside force
常見錯誤
siege — verb
- siegepresent simple I / you / we / they
- sieges3rd person singular
- sieging-ing form
- siegedpast simple
1. to surround a place with armed forces and attack it repeatedly over a period of
to surround a place with armed forces and attack it repeatedly over a period of time, with the aim of capturing it
Rebel forces besieged the capital for three months before forcing its surrender.
besiege + [place] — transitive verb pattern
The coastal town was besieged by the navy, preventing any ships from docking.
passive: be besieged by + [agent]
Kiran's unit besieged the mountain camp for six weeks, cutting off its food and water.
Ancient armies besieged walled cities by using catapults and battering rams.
- lay siege to
the longer phrasal equivalent, more common in historical narrative
- blockade
emphasises cutting off supplies rather than active attacking
文法句型
besiege + [place]