siege

1 of 2

noun

ˈsēj How to pronounce siege (audio)
 also  ˈsēzh
1
a
: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender
b
: a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)
2
obsolete : a seat of distinction : throne

siege

2 of 2

verb

sieged; sieging

transitive verb

: to lay siege to : to attack militarily : besiege
Insurgents rampaged through the countryside, sacked haciendas and mills, occupied small towns, and sieged the largest cities, Cusco and La Paz.Sergio Serulnikov
Phrases
lay siege to
1
: to besiege militarily
2
: to pursue diligently or persistently

Examples of siege in a Sentence

Noun The castle was built to withstand a siege. The city is in a state of siege.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The attack was the deadliest to hit Russia since the Beslan school siege of 2004. CNN, 21 Nov. 2024 Turkey offered its services on a variety of issues at the start of the war, lobbying for humanitarian corridors during the Russian siege of Mariupol, helping negotiate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and facilitating exchanges on the security of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
Tensions in Bangladesh have reignited as student protesters sieged the presidential palace Tuesday evening, calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 Police then began negotiations with other people in the home before authorities eventually sieged the house with armored vehicles. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 1 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for siege 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sege, from Anglo-French, seat, blockade, from Old French *siegier to seat, settle, from Vulgar Latin *sedicare, from Latin sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of siege was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near siege

Cite this Entry

“Siege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siege. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

siege

noun
1
: the placing of an army around a fortified place or city to force it to surrender
2
: a lasting attack (as of illness)

More from Merriam-Webster on siege

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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