Under siege

[joseph0928]

Hi,
What does "under siege" mean?
Do it mean "under attack" in a more severe way?
What pictures will be imagined when native speakers read this phrase?
Thank you

 

[bhaisahab]

Do you understand the word "siege"? Have a look at this link: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/siege?a=british
Does that help you to understand?
Now, please bookmark this site for future reference: http://www.onelook.com/

 

[joseph0928]

Thank you
Actually, I do know what "siege" means literally in the dictionary. But I become confused after the incident happened in Paris.
This is what I read on an English news website:
"Paris under Siege – Borders Shutting Down"
I think what has happened in Paris shouldn't be "siege" according to the definition since it was not surrounded by hostile forces.
Therefore, I brought up this question to see whether "under siege" has more meanings.
Or the usage above is not OK in this case?
Thank you

 

[MikeNewYork]

You make a good point about "siege". "Attack would probably have been better.

 

[MikeNewYork]

But it is a stretch.

 

[TheParser]

What pictures will be imagined when native speakers read this phrase?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

This native speaker can see a picture of an institution (a university, for example ) being "under siege" in the sense that hundreds of protestors are marching around the campus and occupying buildings in order to make the university capitulate (surrender) to the protestors' demands. "Under seige" would, in my picture, also include hundreds of journalists with their film crews descending on the campus, thus making it impossible for the ordinary process of education to proceed.

 

[bhaisahab]

If you had posted the context in post #1, joseph0928, we would have been better able to answer your question.

 

[emsr2d2]

Although there were attacks in Paris last Friday, and many people are assuming there will be more, I don't think it would have been appropriate for them to use "under attack". By the time the sentence was written, the attacks were over and there were no attacks happening at the time of writing.

I agree with Piscean, though, that closing the borders suggests that they think they are under siege.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I don't understand why "under attack" is ruled out because the attacks had stopped but "under siege" is OK.

 

[Tdol]

Do it mean "under attack" in a more severe way?

Not necessarily- if you're under siege, you're being restricted but do not have to be under attack at a given moment.