“kidnapped” is a form of
kidnap
/ˈkɪdnæp/ verb, noun
Forms kidnaps kidnapping kidnaping kidnapped kidnaped
- verb (transitive) To seize or detain a person unlawfully and move or conceal them; sometimes for ransom.
- noun The crime, or an instance, of kidnapping.
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To take (any one) by force or fear, and against one's will, with intent to carry to another place. Abbott.
Etymology [Kid a child + Prov. E. nap to seize, to grasp. Cf. Knab, Knap, Nab.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “kidnap”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details