captive

noun
/ˈkæptɪv/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”). Doublet of caitiff.

  1. derived from *kap-<id:seize> — “seize, hold
  2. derived from captīvus
  3. inherited from captif

Definitions

  1. One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.

    • I envy not in any moods ⁠The captive void of noble rage, ⁠The linnet born within the cage, That never knew the summer woods: […]
  2. One held prisoner.

  3. One charmed or subdued by beauty, excellence, or affection

    One charmed or subdued by beauty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated.

  4. + 5 more definitions
    1. A captive insurance company, a subsidiary of a company used as its internal insurer.

    2. Held prisoner

      Held prisoner; not free; confined.

      • A poor, miserable, captive thrall.
    3. Subdued by love

      Subdued by love; charmed; captivated.

      • Even in so short a space, my woman's heart / Grossly grew captive to his honey words.
    4. Of or relating to bondage or confinement

      Of or relating to bondage or confinement; serving to confine.

      • captive chains; captive hours
    5. To capture

      To capture; to take captive.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at captive. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01captive02confined03limited04specified05specify06detail07escape08capture

A definitional loop anchored at captive. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at captive

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA