/ ˈhɒstɪdʒ; NAmE ˈhɑːs-/ noun
a person who is captured and held prisoner by a person or group, and who may be injured or killed if people do not do what the person or group is asking :
Three children were taken hostage during the bank robbery.
He was held hostage for almost a year.
The government is negotiating the release of the hostages.
➡ note at prisoner
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IDIOMS
- a hostage to fortune
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French , based on late Latin obsidatus the state of being a hostage (the earliest sense in English), from Latin obses , obsid- hostage.