Hostage
Pronunciation : Hos"tage
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F. ?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
Definition : 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.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913