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hostage

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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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