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more about hostage
hostage |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Hostage \Hos"tage\, n. [OE. hostage, OF hostage, ostage, F. [^o]tage, LL hostaticus ostaticum for hospitaticum fr L. hospes guest, host. The first meaning is the state of a guest, hospitality; hence the state of a hostage (treated as a guest); and both these meanings occur in Old French. See {Host} a landlord.] A person given as a pledge or security for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or stipulations of any kind on the performance of which the person is to be released. Your hostages I have so have you mine; And we shall talk before we fight. --Shak. He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune. --Bacon. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: hostage n : a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another party will meet specified terms [syn: {surety}] From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: Hostage a person delivered into the hands of another as a security for the performance of some promise, etc (2 Kings 14:14; 2 Chr. 25:24).
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