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hostage

1 ENTRIES FOUND:
hostage /ˈhɑːstɪʤ/ noun
plural hostages
hostage
/ˈhɑːstɪʤ/
noun
plural hostages
Britannica Dictionary definition of HOSTAGE
[count]
: a person who is captured by someone who demands that certain things be done before the captured person is freed
sometimes used figuratively

a hostage to fortune

◊ In British English, a hostage to fortune is something (such as a promise or an action) that someone has made or done that may cause problems in the future. In U.S. English, this phrase is much less common and is usually understood to mean a person whose future success or failure is controlled by luck or fortune.