kidnap

kid·nap  (kdnp)

tr.v. kid·napped or kid·naped, kid·nap·ping or kid·nap·ing, kid·naps

To seize and detain unlawfully and usually for ransom.

---

[Probably kid + nap, to snatch (perhaps variant of nab and or of Scandinavian origin).]

---

kidnap·pee, kidnap·ee (kdn-p) n.

kidnap n.

kidnapper, kidnaper n.

Word History: Appropriately enough, kidnapper seems to have originated among those who perpetrate this crime. We know this because kid and napper, the two parts of the compound, were slang of the sort that criminals used. Kid, which still has an informal air, was considered low slang when kidnapper was formed, and napper is obsolete slang for a thief, coming from the verb nap, "to steal." Nap is possibly a variant of nab, which also still has a slangy ring. In 1678, the year in which the word is first recorded, kidnappers plied their trade to secure laborers for plantations in colonies such as the ones in North America. The term later took on the broader sense that it has today. The verb kidnap is recorded later (1682) than the noun and so is possibly a back-formation, that is, people may have assumed that a kidnapper kidnaps.

---

kidnap [ˈkɪdnæp]

vb -naps, -napping, -napped US -naps, -naping, -naped

(tr) to carry off and hold (a person), usually for ransom

[kid¹ + obsolete nap to steal; see nab]

kidnapper  US, kidnaper n

kidnapping  US, kidnaping n

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

kidnap - take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom; "The industrialist's son was kidnapped" abduct, nobble, snatch crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense, offence - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes" seize - take or capture by force; "The terrorists seized the politicians"; "The rebels threaten to seize civilian hostages" shanghai, impress - take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship; "The men were shanghaied after being drugged"

---

kidnap

verb abduct, remove, steal, capture, seize, snatch (slang), hijack, run off with, run away with, make off with, hold to ransom Police in Brazil uncovered a plot to kidnap him.

Translations

kidnap [ˈkɪdnæp] VT → secuestrar, raptar, plagiar(Mex)

---

kidnap [ˈkɪdnæp]

vt → enlever, kidnapper

n (= kidnapping) → enlèvement m

modif [victim] → d'enlèvement; [group, gang] → de ravisseurs
kidnap attempt → tentative d'enlèvement

---

kidnap

vt → entführen, kidnappen

n → Entführung f, → Kidnapping nt

---

kidnap [ˈkɪdnæp] vt → rapire, sequestrare

---

kidnap

v kidnap [ˈkidnӕp]

to carry off (a person) by force, often demanding money in exchange for his safe return He is very wealthy and lives in fear of his children being kidnapped. ontvoer يَخْطُف، يَخْتَطِف отвличам unést kidnappe entführen απάγω secuestrar, raptar inimest röövima آدم ربایی کردن kidnapata kidnapper לַחטוֹף अपहरण करना oteti elrabol menculik ræna rapire, sequestrare 誘かいする 유괴하다 pagrobti nolaupīt (bērnu); ar varu aizvest (kādu) diculik ontvoeren kidnappe, bortføre porwać raptar a kid­napa, a răpi похищать (людей) uniesť ugrabiti kidnapovati kidnappa ลักพาตัวเพื่อเรียกค่าไถ่ (adam) kaçırmak 綁架 викрадати اغوا کرنا bắt cóc 绑架

n kidnapper

ontvoerder مُخْتَطِف похитител únosce kidnapper; bortfører der Entführer απαγωγέας secuestrador inimröövija آدم ربا kidnappaaja ravisseur/-euse חוֹטֶף अपहर्ता otimač emberrabló penculik mannræningi rapitore, rapitrice, sequestratore, sequestratrice 誘かい者 유괴범 pagrobėjas (bērnu) nolaupītājs penculik ontvoerder kidnapper porywacz raptor răpitor похититель únosca ugrabitelj kidnaper kidnappare คนลักพาตัว adam kaçıran 綁架者 викрадач дітей, людей اغوا کرنے والا شخص kẻ bắt cóc 绑架者

---

kidnap → يَِختطِف unést kidnappe entführen απάγω raptar siepata enlever oteti sequestrare 誘拐する 유괴하다 ontvoeren kidnappe porwać raptar похищать людей kidnappa ลักพาตัว kaçırmak bắt cóc 绑架