HOSTAGE


Meaning of HOSTAGE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈhäs-tij ]

noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from hoste

Date: 13th century

1.

a. : a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge that promises will be kept or terms met by the other party

b. : a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands

2. : one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.