siege
Translation
siege, blockade
Examples
The siege of the city lasted for months.
The siege of the city lasted for months.
The castle was under siege by the enemy.
The castle was under siege by the enemy.
Grammar Patterns
a siege of ((a place)) a military blockade of a place The siege of the city lasted for months.
under siege being besieged by an enemy The castle was under siege.
Similar Words
Synonyms: blockade, encirclement
Etymology
From Old French 'siege' (seat, act of sitting), from Latin 'sedere' (to sit). The idea is of an army 'sitting down' before a town.
Memory Tips
Imagine soldiers 'sitting' outside a castle for a long time, waiting for it to surrender.