单词 | to hold to ransom |
释义 | > as lemmasto hold to ransom to hold to ransom: (a) to keep (a person) prisoner until a ransom is paid; (b) figurative to exert power over by making a threat or withholding something; to limit or control the actions of by using threats or (unfairly) exploiting an advantage. ΚΠ 1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe II. xii. 223 Do hold the damsel to ransom, seeing he will pay you from his bags as much as may find fifty damsels upon safer terms. 1840 C. F. Hoffman Greyslaer II. iii. iv. 135 This seizing of opposite partisans, and holding them to ransom. 1913 Times 18 Dec. 5/1 The municipal strike may drag on.., but its back has been broken... A community with backbone cannot be held to ransom by its servants. 1973 Guardian 19 Apr. 14/3 To make a plutonium bomb, with which a criminal could hold a city to ransom..one needs just 16·2 kilos of the metal. 1995 Campus Times (Vancouver) 1 Nov. 4/2 It seems strange that one province can hold the ROC [= rest of Canada] to ransom. 2004 D. J. Whittaker Terrorists & Terrorism in Contemp. World iii. 38 Are the hostages left to be butchered or held to ransom? < as lemmas |
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