Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To abduct or confine (a person) forcibly, by threat of force, or by deceit, without the authority of law.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To steal, abduct, or carry off forcibly (a human being, whether man, woman, or child). In law it sometimes implies a carrying beyond the jurisdiction.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To take (any one) by force or fear, and against one's will, with intent to carry to another place.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To
seize anddetain a personunlawfully ; sometimes forransom . - noun An
instance ofkidnapping .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I think the word kidnap even surprised him: he thought wee Siobhan was still missing.
The Bloomsday Dead Adrian McKinty 2007
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As the programme says, the issue – having such a high-profile person in a war zone where kidnap is common – must have been assessed and debated.
TV review: The Taking of Prince Harry Sam Wollaston 2010
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In Prince Harry's case, protocol says that the first people called aren't MI5 or MI6 but the Met Police because kidnap is a crime, not a military matter.
Grace Dent's TV OD: The Taking Of Prince Harry Grace Dent 2010
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Global News Blog » North America - Notable drop in kidnap menace says:
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His name also surfaced in Nicaragua, on a list compiled by terrorists of potential Latin American kidnap targets.
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With the police often slow to react and wealthy parents eager to pay, a kidnap should be a quick and simple money-spinner.
Heartache for India's new rich as brutal kidnappers target their children 2011
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Insurgents shot at the car of Bahrain's charge d'affaires in what is being described as a kidnap attempt.
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You and Chris are not exactly big name kidnap bait, and Morrison and Sol wouldn't lift a finger to save you.
Hollywood Nocturne Ellroy, James 1994
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She knew the kidnap was a fake because she was supposed to run off with the kid and the money.
Bitter Gold Hearts Cook, Glen 1988
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AQIM in particular has perfected what analysts call a "kidnap economy," drawing on its refuge in Mali, according to diplomats, hostage negotiators and government officials.
bilby commented on the word kidnap
How do you figure this as a backformation, reesetee?
April 6, 2008
reesetee commented on the word kidnap
According to the OED, it's believed to be a backformation of kidnapper: "f. KID + NAP v., to snatch, seize (cf. NAB)." Apparently it evolved into a verb form from the noun.
April 7, 2008
asativum commented on the word kidnap
Recent evidence suggests it actually traces back to medieval English, and a common hunting prank among the noble set.
Tethered young goats were used as bait to attract bears, wolves and other predators. The hunter or gamekeeper would often nap within earshot of the kid while waiting for the beast to show up, at which point the kid would make a ruckus, waking the napper and bringing the bear (or whatnot) to its speedy demise. Of course, it was the work of a moment for a neighboring squire to instead make off with the kid -- thus, kidnap. Also the origin of the phrase, to get your goat.
April 8, 2008
reesetee commented on the word kidnap
Ah, another expert in madeupical etymology. :-)
April 8, 2008