ambul

Ambul is not a standard English word in isolation. In practice, it appears most often as a root form or abbreviation in medical and linguistic contexts. It derives from the Latin ambulare, meaning to walk, and its basic combining form ambul- appears in several movement-related terms.

The ambul- root is used across many words that describe walking, movement, or care settings related to walking. Examples include ambulatory (able to walk or functioning without assistance), ambulate (to walk), and ambulator (a person who walks or a device that aids walking). The same root also appears in ambulance, a service that transports the ill or injured; this word derives from the same Latin root through French and Italian, emphasizing movement to and from care.

In contemporary usage, ambul- is typically not used alone except as an abbreviation in medical records or notes. For instance, ambul. may indicate outpatient or ambulatory status, as opposed to inpatient care. In academic terminology, ambul- is treated as a combining form rather than an independent lexeme.

See also: Ambulatory, Ambulation, Ambulatory care, Ambulatory surgery, Ambulance.