Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

siege

Pronunciation: /siːdʒ/
Translate siege | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of siege

noun

  • a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender:Verdun had withstood a siege of ten weeks [as modifier]:siege warfare
  • an operation in which a police or other force surround a building and cut off supplies, with the aim of forcing an armed person to surrender: two cult members have died so far in the four-day siege

Phrases

lay siege to

conduct a siege of (a place):government forces laid siege to the building figurativethe press laid siege to her flat

under siege

(of a place) undergoing a siege:the fort had been under siege by guerrillas since June figurativewe are under siege from budget cuts

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French sege, from asegier 'besiege'

Spelling rule

i before e except after c (as in thief).

siege in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of siege in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kəː /
noun
an aggressive or unkempt dog …