Dictionary De - En
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De - Pt| English Dictionary: hostage | by the DICT Development Group |
| 3 results for hostage | |
| From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
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Hostage \Hos"tage\, n. [OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F. [93]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 Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: | |
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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). | |
