Hostage
(Hos"tage) n. [OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F. ôtage, LL. hostaticus, ostaticum, for
hospitaticum, fr. L. hospes guest, host. The first meaning is, the state of a guest, hospitality; hence,
the state of a hostage (treated as a guest); and both these meanings occur in Old French. See Host
a landlord.] A person given as a pledge or security for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or
stipulations of any kind, on the performance of which the person is to be released.
Your hostages I have, so have you mine;
And we shall talk before we fight.
Shak.
He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.
Bacon. Hostel
(Hos"tel) n. [OE. hostel, ostel, OF. hostel, ostel, LL. hospitale, hospitalis, fr. L. hospitalis.
See Hospital, and cf. Hotel.]
1. An inn. [Archaic] Poe.
So pass I hostel, hall, and grange.
Tennyson. 2. A small, unendowed college in Oxford or Cambridge. [Obs.] Holinshed.
Hosteler
(Hos"tel*er) n. [See Hostel, and cf. Hostler.]
1. The keeper of a hostel or inn.
2. A student in a hostel, or small unendowed collede in Oxford or Cambridge. [Obs.] Fuller.
Hostelry
(Hos"tel*ry) n. [OE. hostelrie, hostelrye, ostelrie, OF. hostelerie, fr. hostel. See Hostel.]
An inn; a lodging house. [Archaic] Chaucer. "Homely brought up in a rude hostelry." B. Jonson.
Come with me to the hostelry.
Longfellow. Hostess
(Host"ess) n. [OE. hostesse, ostesse. See Host a landlord.]
1. A female host; a woman who hospitably entertains guests at her house. Shak.
2. A woman who entertains guests for compensation; a female innkeeper. Shak.
Hostess-ship
(Host"ess-ship), n. The character, personality, or office of a hostess. Shak.
Hostie
(Hos"tie) n. [F. See 1st Host.] The consecrated wafer; the host. [Obs.] Bp. Burnet.
Hostile
(Hos"tile) a. [L. hostilis, from hostis enemy: cf. F. hostile. See Host an army.] Belonging
or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or
a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly; as, a hostile force;
hostile intentions; a hostile country; hostile to a sudden change.
Syn. — Warlike; inimical; unfriendly; antagonistic; opposed; adverse; opposite; contrary; repugnant.
Hostile
(Hos"tile), n. An enemy; esp., an American Indian in arms against the whites; — commonly in the
plural. [Colloq.] P. H. Sheridan.
Hostilely
(Hos"tile*ly), adv. In a hostile manner.
Hostility
(Hos*til"i*ty) n.; pl. Hostilities [L. hostilitas: cf. F. hostilité.]
1. State of being hostile; public or private enemy; unfriendliness; animosity.
Hostility being thus suspended with France.
Hayward.
