siege
UK[siːdʒ]US[siːdʒ]
n
a military operation in which an army tries to capture a town or building by surrounding it and stopping the supply of food, etc., to the people inside
n
a situation in which the police, etc. surround a building in order to force the people inside to come out
Etymology
the word 'siege' originates from the concept of 'sitting down' or 'taking a seat'. its journey begins with the latin verb 'sedēre', meaning 'to sit'. this evolved into vulgar latin 'sedicum', denoting a seat or, by military extension, a place where an army 'sits down' to encircle a fortress. entering english via old french 'sege', the meaning shifted from a literal seat to the act of a prolonged military encirclement and blockade. thus, the modern abstract meaning of a sustained, confining operation logically evolved from the ancient, concrete idea of an army settling in place to cut off and capture a stronghold.
Analysis
the word is a simplex form. it is derived from the old french 'sege', meaning 'seat' or 'blockade', which itself came from the vulgar latin 'sedicum', a derivative of the latin verb 'sedēre', meaning 'to sit'.
Examples
the city endured a long and brutal siege before finally surrendering.
after a tense 12-hour siege, the armed suspect was persuaded to leave the building.
the castle's walls were built to withstand any siege.