Main Entry: hos·tage

Pronunciation: \ˈhäs-tij\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from hoste

Date: 13th century

1 a : a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement b : a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands
2 : one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence