hold hostage (English, verb)
expansion: hold hostage (third-person singular simple present holds hostage, present participle holding hostage, simple past and past participle held hostage)
Senses:
glosses: To hold as hostage.
To have possession or custody of (a person) as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand.
glosses: To hold as hostage.
To seek advantage in a situation by threatening the well-being or success of (a person or thing not directly involved in the situation).
topics: computer
computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
science
sciences
glosses: To hold as hostage.
To sabotage (a computer) with intent to blackmail the owner.
raw_tags: of a hacker or malware
glosses: To hold in custody or use for any advantage.
Forms:
form: holds hostage
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: holding hostage
tags: participle
present
form: held hostage
tags: participle
past
form: held hostage
tags: past