prop. n. A genus of robust East Asian clump-forming perennial herbs having racemose flowers: plantain lilies; sometimes placed in the family Hostaceae.
Syn. -- genus Hosta, Funka, genus Funka. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. One of many families or subfamilies into which some classification systems subdivide the Liliaceae but not widely accepted; includes genus Hosta.
Syn. -- family Hostaceae, Funkaceae, family Funkaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F. ôtage, LL. hostaticus, ostaticum, for hospitaticum, fr. L. hospes guest, host. The first meaning is, the state of a guest, hospitality; hence, the state of a hostage (treated as a guest); and both these meanings occur in Old French. See Host a landlord. ] A person given as a pledge or security for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or stipulations of any kind, on the performance of which the person is to be released. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your hostages I have, so have you mine;
And we shall talk before we fight. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'orqo`s straight + &unr_; to place. ] (Anc. Costume) A chiton, or loose, ungirded tunic, falling in straight folds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of sulphostannic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, a sulphacid of tin (more exactly called metasulphostannic acid), which is obtained as a dark brown amorphous substance, H&unr_;SnS&unr_;, forming a well-known series of salts. [ 1913 Webster ]