(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
1.
A ~ is the money that has to be paid to someone so that they will set free a person they have kidnapped.
Her kidnapper successfully extorted a ?175,000 ~ for her release...
N-VAR
2.
If you ~ someone who has been kidnapped, you pay the money to set them free.
The same system was used for ~ing or exchanging captives.
VERB: V n
3.
If a kidnapper is holding someone to ~ or holding them ~ in British English, or is holding a person for ~ in American English, they keep that person prisoner until they are given what they want
He is charged with kidnapping a businessman last year and holding him for ~...
PHRASE: V inflects
4.
If you say that someone is holding you to ~ in British English, or holding you for ~ in American English, you mean that they are using their power to try to force you to do something which you do not want to do.
Unison and the other unions have the power to hold the Government to ~.
PHRASE: V inflects disapproval