Hypertext Webster Gateway: "hostage"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Hostage
a person delivered into the hands of another as a security for
the performance of some promise, etc. (2 Kings 14:14; 2 Chr.
25:24).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hostage \Hos"tage\, n. [OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F.
[^o]tage, 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.]
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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
hostage
n : a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another
party will meet specified terms [syn: {surety}]
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