GRE Word List

HOSTAGE

a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement

The meaning of the word hostage is a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement.

Random words

WordMeaning
unexceptionablenot open to objection or criticism : beyond reproach : unimpeachable
garbledmade unclear or confusing : distorted or mixed up
substantiateto give substance or form to : embody
circumlocutionthe use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea
frustrateto balk or defeat in an endeavor
arch-a typically curved structural member spanning an opening and serving as a support (as for the wall or other weight above the opening)
quintessencethe fifth and highest element in ancient and medieval philosophy that permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies
emancipateto free from restraint, control, or the power of another
harrowingacutely distressing or painful
pyromaniaca person who has an uncontrollable impulse to start fires : a person affected by pyromania