Category:Hostage

Hos"tage, n. Etym: [OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F. ôtage, 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.]

Defn: 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.

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Hostage - A person delivered into the hands of another as a security for the performance of some promise, etc. (2 Kings 14:14; 2 Chronicles 25:24).