ransomとは意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹænsəm/
• ハイフネーション: ran‧som

名詞

ransom (usually uncountable, 複数形 ransoms)

1. Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.

   They were held for two million dollars ransom.

   They were held to ransom.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book XII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.

   • 1612, John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued

     His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty.

   • 2010, Caroline Alexander, The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad:

     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.'”

2. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.

   prisoners hopeless of ransom

   • a. 1701, 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, OCLC 863244003:

     Till the fair slave be rendered to her sire; And ransom-free restored to his abode

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.
   • 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, OCLC 65350522:

     punished with imprisonment and ransom at the King's will

使用する際の注意点

• "held for ransom" is much more common in the US, "held to ransom" in the UK.

派生語

• king's ransom
• ransom strip
• ransomware

動詞

ransom (三人称単数 現在形 ransoms, 現在分詞 ransoming, 過去形および過去分詞形 ransomed)

1. (obsolete) To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties. [14th century]
2. To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.

   to ransom prisoners from an enemy

   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:

     And gainſt the General we will lift our ſwords
     And either lanch his greedie thirſting throat,
     Or take him priſoner, and his chaine ſhall ſerue
     For Manackles, till he be ranſom’d home.

3. To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.
   • 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 (→ISBN):

     Terrorists will continue to hold few detainees in undisclosed locations in order to ransom them for money or some other material profit, […]