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hostage
noun
a
person
captured
and
kept
by
someone
to
force
others
to
meet
demands
or
to
stop
them
from
acting
•
The
kidnappers
released
one
hostage
after
receiving
food
and
water
.
The
kidnappers
released
one
hostage
after
receiving
food
and
water
.
•
Police
negotiated
all
night
to
make
sure
every
hostage
left
the
bank
safely
.
Police
negotiated
all
night
to
make
sure
every
hostage
left
the
bank
safely
.
Middle
English
,
from
Old
French
‘
hostage
’,
earlier
‘
ostage
’,
based
on
Latin
‘
obses
’
meaning
‘
pledge
’.
noun
something
or
someone
whose
fate
is
controlled
by
outside
forces
and
used
to
influence
decisions
•
Progress
on
the
project
became
a
hostage
to
political
arguments
.
Progress
on
the
project
became
a
hostage
to
political
arguments
.
•
Fear
of
public
opinion
held
the
committee
hostage
and
delayed
their
decision
.
Fear
of
public
opinion
held
the
committee
hostage
and
delayed
their
decision
.
Extension
of
the
literal
sense
‘
captive
used
as
leverage
’,
first
recorded
in
figurative
use
in
the
19th
century
.
