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 demands2: one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence