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| Date: | 1600-1700 |
| Origin: | kid 'child' + nap 'to take, seize' (17-19 centuries) |
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Related topics: Crimekid‧nap
past tense and past participle kidnapped, present participle kidnapping also, past tense and past participle kidnaped, present participle kidnaping American English [transitive]
past tense and past participle kidnapped, present participle kidnapping also, past tense and past participle kidnaped, present participle kidnaping American English [transitive]SCC to take someone somewhere illegally by force, often in order to get money for returning them [↪ ransom]: 
Police appealed for witnesses after a woman was kidnapped at gunpoint.
Police appealed for witnesses after a woman was kidnapped at gunpoint. —kidnapper noun [countable] the hunt for the kidnapper
the hunt for the kidnapper —kidnapping also kidnap noun [uncountable and countable] a series of kidnappings
a series of kidnappings