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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