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# siege

noun (a siege, sieges); verb (to siege — rare, usually «besiege»)

«siege» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A siege is when an army surrounds a town or castle and stops food and help getting in, so the people inside will give up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#m1)
2. A siege can also be when police surround a building where someone is hiding, often with hostages. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#m2)
3. Under siege can mean being attacked or troubled from all sides by lots of problems or people. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons it comes with castles, walls, catapults and starving towns; in news, «a police siege»; in everyday talk «under siege» is a strong way to say very busy or attacked; phrases: lay siege to, under siege, siege of (a town), lift the siege.

### Examples

- The castle held out through a long siege. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x1)
- The army laid siege to the city for six months. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x2)
- During the siege the people ate rats to survive. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x3)
- Police ended the siege after ten hours. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x4)
- The siege was lifted when help arrived. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x5)
- On sale day the shop was under siege from shoppers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x6)
- We built a model siege engine in history. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x7)
- When the enemies of Virgilius heard of this, they assembled together and laid siege to his castle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/#x8)

### Note

Spelling trap: «ie» — siege (not «seige»). The verb is usually «besiege». Countable: a siege, two sieges.

## In Jewish tradition

The Torah warns that in the siege, Israel's enemies would shut them in, and hunger would be terrible. This is part of the curses for breaking the covenant. In the primary lessons: In history lessons it comes with castles, walls, catapults and starving towns; in news, «a police siege»; in everyday talk «under siege» is a strong way to say very busy or attacked; phrases: lay siege to, under siege, siege of (a town), lift the siege.

### Examples

- And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters whom the LORD thy God hath given thee; in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall straiten thee. (Torah DEU.28.53, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/siege/#x1)
- Gather up thy wares from the ground, O thou that abidest in the siege. (Prophets JER.10.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/siege/#x2)
- 'Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria: Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide the siege in Jerusalem? (Writings 2CH.32.10, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/siege/#x3)
- And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with thine arm uncovered; and thou shalt prophesy against it. (Prophets EZK.4.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/siege/#x4)

### Note

Spelling trap: «ie» — siege (not «seige»). The verb is usually «besiege». Countable: a siege, two sieges.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «siege» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/siege/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«siege» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/siege.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «siege» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/siege/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«siege» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/siege.html) on Mova free.