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Added 10 October 2026

kidnap

/ˈkɪdnæp/ verb

In Latin: raptō, rapiō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about kidnap at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To seize or detain (a person) unlawfully and transport or conceal them, sometimes for ransom. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}

noun

The crime, or an instance, of kidnapping.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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