kidnap

Pronunciation: /ˈkɪdnæp/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom

Etymology

From kid + nap (“to nab; to grab”). Originally Thieves' cant, referring to the practice of stealing children and shipping them to colonies or plantations as laborers. First attested c. 1680.

In classic literature

Synonyms

nobble, abduct, snatch

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
seize
Narrower (hyponyms)
shanghai

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