hostage
part of speech
noun (a hostage, hostages)
meaning for a pupil
1) A hostage is a person who is held prisoner by someone who will not let them go until they get what they want. tree →
2) To take someone hostage, or hold someone hostage, is to capture and keep them like this. tree →
sense in the lessons
In history and news, hostages are taken in wars, by kidnappers or by terrorists; it is a crime under the law of every country, and governments work hard to free them. News reports of conflicts say who is being held and what each side says. In stories, a hostage raises the stakes for the hero. Figuratively, «held hostage» can mean controlled by something: «held hostage by the weather». Phrases: «take hostage», «hold hostage», «release the hostages», «hostage crisis».
examples
- The robbers took two people hostage in the bank. tree →
- The hostages were released after many days. tree →
- Families waited for news of the hostages. tree →
- In the film, the hero rescued the hostage from the castle. tree →
- Taking hostages is a serious crime. tree →
- (figurative) Our picnic was held hostage by the rain. tree →
- They even owed something to their landlord, who kept them as hostages till they could pay their debts. tree →
note
Plural: «hostages». Pattern: «take/hold someone hostage» (no «as»). In news, reports often say how many hostages were taken and who says what; stick to what is reported. Not the same as a prisoner of war, who is a soldier captured in a war.
In the corpora
- Israel then bombed Gaza and sent in soldiers to fight Hamas and bring the hostages home.
- Like a friend who is sad for two cousins at once, your heart can hold the hostages and the children of Gaza together.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «hostage» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.