Definition of "ransom"

ransom

/ˈɹænsəm/

noun
usually uncountable, plural ransoms
1. Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
  Quotations
  Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.
  1667, John Milton, “Book XII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,
  His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty.
  1612, John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued
  As rich as was the ransom Priam paid for Hektor, Hermes says, his remaining sons at Troy “'would give three times as much ransom / for you, who are alive, were Atreus' son Agamemnon / to recognize you.'”
  2010, Caroline Alexander, The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad
2. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
  Quotations
  Till the fair slave be rendered to her sire; And ransom-free restored to his abode
  a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The First Book of Homer’s Ilias”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume IV, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760
3. (historical, law, UK) A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.
  Quotations
  punished with imprisonment and ransom at the King's will
  1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press
verb
third-person singular simple present ransoms, present participle ransoming, simple past and past participle ransomed
1. (obsolete) To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.
2. To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.
  Quotations
  And gainſt the General we will lift our ſwordsAnd either lanch his greedie thirſting throat,Or take him priſoner, and his chaine ſhall ſerueFor Manackles, till he be ranſom’d home.
  c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, (please specify the page)
3. To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.
  Quotations
  Terrorists will continue to hold few detainees in undisclosed locations in order to ransom them for money or some other material profit, […]
  2017, Bruce Oliver Newsome, James W. Stewart, Aarefah Mosavi, Countering New(est) Terrorism: Hostage-Taking, Kidnapping, and Active Violence — Assessing, Negotiating, and Assaulting, CRC Press

Definition of "ransom"

ransom

noun

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verb

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