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ostaggio

hostage

noun oh-STAHJ-joh Rare

Origin: Old French ostage (hostage), ultimately from Latin obsidatus

Usage Note

Ostaggio is masculine; the plural is ostaggi. The key phrase is prendere in ostaggio — to take hostage — where ostaggio follows the preposition without an article. Do not confuse with oste (innkeeper) or osteria (tavern), which share no meaning. Tenere qualcuno in ostaggio means to hold someone hostage.

Examples

"I rapitori hanno tenuto tre ostaggi per una settimana."

Natural Translation

The kidnappers held three hostages for a week.

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