hostage Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another party will meet specified terms
    surety.

WordNet

Hos"tage noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  1. 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.

Webster 1913