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Ransom vs Hijack - What's the difference?

ransom | hijack |

As nouns the difference between ransom and hijack

is that ransom is money paid for the freeing of a hostage while hijack is an instance of hijacking; the illegal seizure of a vehicle.

As verbs the difference between ransom and hijack

is that ransom is to deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties while hijack is to forcibly stop and seize control of some vehicle in order to rob it or to reach a destination (especially an airplane, truck or a boat).

ransom

English

(wikipedia ransom)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
  • They were held for two million dollars ransom .
    They were held to ransom .
  • * 1674 , , Paradise Lost , Book XII:
  • Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.
  • * Sir J. Davies
  • 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.'”
  • The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
  • prisoners hopeless of ransom
    (Dryden)
  • (historical, legal, 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.
  • (Blackstone)

    Usage notes

    * (term) is much more common in the US, (to) in the UK.

    Derived terms

    * king's ransom

    Verb

  • To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.
  • To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.
  • to ransom prisoners from an enemy
  • To exact a ransom for, or a payment on.
  • Such lands as he had rule of he ransomed them so grievously, and would tax the men two or three times in a year. — Berners.

    See also

    * bail

    References

    Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition 1997

    Anagrams

    * * * * *

    hijack

    English

    (wikipedia hijack)

    Alternative forms

    * hi-jack, highjack

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To forcibly stop and seize control of some vehicle in order to rob it or to reach a destination (especially an airplane, truck or a boat).
  • To seize control of some process or resource to achieve a purpose other than its originally intended one.
  • (computing) To seize control of a networked computer by means of infecting it with a worm or other malware, thereby turning it into a zombie.
  • (computing) To change software settings without a user's knowledge so as to force that user to visit a certain web site (to hijack a browser ).
  • (politics) To introduce an amendment deleting the contents of a bill and inserting entirely new provisions.
  • Derived terms

    * hijackable * carjack * seajack

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An instance of hijacking; the illegal seizure of a vehicle.
  • An instance of a seizure and redirection of a process.
  • (politics) An amendment which deletes the contents of a bill and inserts entirely new provisions.
  • (poker slang) Preflop, the position two before the dealer.