hostile, adj. and n.
Forms:
Also 16 hostill.(Show Less)
Etymology: < Latin hostīlis, < hostis enemy (see -ile suffix): perhaps through French hostile (15–16th cent. in Hatzfeld & Darmesteter).
A. adj.
1.
a. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an enemy; pertaining to or engaged in actual hostilities.
1598 Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 i. i. 9
Nor bruise her flourets with the armed hoofes Of hostile paces.
1656 B. Harris tr. J. N. de Parival Hist. Iron Age ii. ii. iv. 240
The King of Denmark who entred Germany in an hostil manner.
1698 J. Fryer New Acct. E.-India & Persia 337
By these Bars..the Hostile Arms of the Turks have been put to a stop.
1725 W. Broome in Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey III. xi. 656
Thus great in glory from the din of war Safe he return'd, without one hostile scar.
1810 Duke of Wellington Dispatches
(1836)
VI. 110
The operations of hostile armies.
1847 R. W. Emerson Napoleon in Wks.
(1906)
I. 371
On a hostile position [he] rained a torrent of iron.
1597—1847(Hide quotations)
b. Of the nature or disposition of an enemy; unfriendly.
1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. Pref. 4
They all came in from a foreign and hostile quarter.
1821 J. Baillie Lady G. Baillie in Metrical Legends li
The dame held fast the hostile door.
1840 F. D. Bennett Narr. Whaling Voy. II. 88
A second hostile rajah..was for some time kept as a state-prisoner.
1876 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest V. xxiv. 392
Men of different and hostile races.
1782—1876(Hide quotations)
2. transferred and figurative.
a. Unfriendly in feeling, action, nature, or character; contrary, adverse, antagonistic.
1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1748 I. 101
The natives of North-Britain, to whom he is supposed to have been so hostile.
1800 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 4 114
The principal of putrefaction, or azote, the element hostile to life.
1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. ii. 231
A long succession of princes, hostile to the established faith, might sit on the English throne.
a1862 H. T. Buckle Hist. Civilisation Eng.
(1873)
III. v. 413
It is possible for two hostile principles to flourish side by side, without ever coming into collision.
1791—a1862(Hide quotations)
b. to go hostile : to become angry. Australian and New Zealand colloquial.
1941 W. D. Haydon N.Z. Soldiers 17
Wouldn't he go hostile if he knew who pinched his bacon.
1945 S. J. Baker Austral. Lang. xv. 23
To go hostile means to become angry.
1941—1945(Hide quotations)
B. n.
A hostile person; spec. (U.S.) a North American Indian unfriendly to white people.
1838 N.-Y. Mirror 27 Jan. 245/3
Yesterday five Delaware chiefs, who had gone from the main army to the stronghold of the hostiles, reappeared with four Indians.
1860 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms
(ed. 3)
Hostiles, enemies. Western.
1880 Libr. Universal Knowl. X. 431
They were formerly hostiles, but..at present peaceable and industrious.
1885 Milnor
(Dakota Territory)
Teller 24 Apr. 5/3
Saturday a scouting-party..captured three hostiles.
1890 Pall Mall Gaz. 18 Dec. 5/2
A courier has just arrived, and reports..that the hostiles are fighting with the friendly Indians on the Grand River.
1963 Guardian 8 Sept. 6/6
There were rumours that Naga hostiles were getting help from China.
1966 A. Firth Tall, Balding, Thirty-five iv. 48
It is most unlikely that a hostile could select such a person as yourself to assist them.
1969 Hindu 3 Aug. 1/5
A strong contingent of security forces has been rushed to..Ukhrul..to intercept over 400 China-trained Naga hostiles.
1838—1969(Hide quotations)
Compounds
hostile ice n. (see quot. 1966).
1964 Polar Record XII. 197
Hostile ice.
1966 T. Armstrong et al. Illustr. Gloss. Snow & Ice 19
Hostile ice, from the point of view of the submariner, an ice canopy containing no large ice skylights or other features which permit a submarine to surface.
1964—1966(Hide quotations)
hostile ord n. Naval slang an ordinary seaman who joins the Navy in wartime for the period of hostilities only.
1919 W. Lang Sea-lawyer's Log iii. 37
To the active service man the ‘hostile ord’, as the temporary seaman is called, is a mere interloper, one who has joined the Navy to ‘dodge Kitchener’, as they put it, and they do not hesitate to tell him so.
1919—1919(Hide quotations)
Derivatives
† hostile v. Obsolete to hostile it : to be hostile, engage in warlike hostilities.
1656 S. Hunton Golden Law 8
Why may not Clients clearly injured by their Lawyer, or their Adversary, hostile it, and gather an Army?
1656 S. Hunton Golden Law 96
Had you just cause to invade and hostile it against us.
1656—1656(Hide quotations)
Draft additions 1993
Commerce. Of a takeover (bid), etc.: liable to be opposed by the management of the target company, unwelcome.
1972 Financial Executive Apr. 20/1
Hostile tenders and exchange offers are no longer as simple as they once were.
1987 Sunday Times 29 Nov. 70/3
He rolled out a hostile cash-and-convertible package worth £224m for Electronic Rentals three weeks ago.
1990 Business Apr. 81/2
Adia..launched a hostile bid for Hestair... When Hestair found a white knight, BET, Adia refused to enter a bidding war.
1972—1990(Hide quotations)
Draft additions September 2014
hostile takeover n. (a) a takeover which is opposed by the company to be bought (cf. Additions); frequently attributive, esp. in hostile takeover bid; (b) (in extended use) any assumption of control which is undertaken by stealth, or is strongly opposed or rejected by those it affects.
1974 Wall St. Jrnl. 21 Oct. 1/6
Top executives..are drafting contingency plans..in anticipation of hostile take-over attempts.
1989 T. Clancy Clear & Present Danger xxvii. 581
He had no illusions about leading a revolution. He was merely executing—what was it called? A hostile takeover.
1990 Forbes 19 Feb. 10/3
Faley was severely squeezed after he won his $1.7 billion hostile takeover bid for West Point-Pepperell.
2002 Village Voice
(N.Y.)
12 Feb. 8/1
The colonization and hostile takeover of schools..will ultimately displace..minority students.
1974—2002(Hide quotations)
