amphibious assault
3
8.4
- noun
- /æmˈfɪbiəs əˈsɔlt/
- Specialized
:
asalto anfibio
- Trained in both sea and airborne operations, these units are intended for land, air, and amphibious assault.
- amphibious assault ship
- amphibious assault vehicle
- preparation for an amphibious assault
Examples
-
During World War II, the Allies executed a successful amphibious assault on the beaches of Normandy.
-
We sent a task force to Gitmo and staged an amphibious assault there on the beaches we control.
Blog text (9) -
Because the capability was never lost, amphibious assault was always a potential threat that enemies had to consider.
Fiction book (2000) -
General Shepherd is putting together an overwhelming amphibious assault on Inchon.
-
In addition, I would launch an amphibious assault on the islands in the Straits that they took from the UAE and take them back.
Blog text (11) -
In 1974, the armed forces of the PRC seized the Paracel Islands in a combined amphibious assault.
Academic text (1991) -
From this commission, Joe participated in major amphibious assaults in the Marshall and Solomon Islands Campaigns.
Blog text (7) -
At the onset of WWII, Joe was called to active duty in the United States Navy and participated in major amphibious assaults of the Pacific Theatre.
Blog text (7) -
Marines do pure amphibious assaults and have AAV-7s. The Army can't have no amphibious attack vehicles, so it's a major operational problem.
Blog text (18) -
The battleships of the past became engaged directly with other ships and were used in "softening" up islands before an amphibious assault. However, due to fortifications used by the Japanese, even the pre-invasion shellings left plenty of resistance for our troops to encounter.
Blog text (34)
Synonyms
2
8.3
A military attack in which troops move from ships or planes onto an enemy shore
1
8.1
A military action that lands soldiers from ships onto a shore
1
8.1
An attack by soldiers from the sea onto land near the coast
How Aggressive
- Specialized
3
8.4
- Specialized
2
8.3
- Specialized
1
8.1
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'amphibious' (able to operate on land and water) modifies 'assault' (a military attack), so the phrase denotes a military attack involving forces operating from sea to land. This follows a standard modifier+noun pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase amphibious assault comes from the word amphibious, meaning 'able to operate on both land and water', and assault, meaning 'attack'. Imagine soldiers moving from ships across the water onto a beach to attack, and that clear picture is why it means 'a military attack by troops brought ashore by naval ships'.