hostage vs tool

hostage

noun
  • One who is compelled by something, especially something that poses a threat; one who is not free to choose their own course of action. 

  • The condition of being held as security or to compel someone else to act or not act in a particular way. 

  • Something that constrains one's actions because it is at risk. 

  • A person seized in order to compel another party to act (or refrain from acting) in a certain way, because of the threat of harm to the hostage. 

  • A person given as a pledge or security for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or similar agreement, such as to ensure the status of a vassal. 

verb
  • To hold (someone or something) hostage, especially in a way that constrains or controls the person or thing held, or in order to exchange for something else. 

  • To give (someone or something) as a hostage to (someone or something else). 

tool

noun
  • An obnoxious or uptight person. 

  • A mechanical device intended to make a task easier. 

  • A penis, notably with a sexual or erotic connotation. 

  • A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group. 

  • Something to perform an operation; an instrument; a means. 

  • Any piece of equipment used in a profession, e.g. a craftman's tools. 

  • A gun. 

  • A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations. 

verb
  • To equip with tools. 

  • To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather. 

  • To work very hard. 

  • To intentionally attack the ball so that it deflects off a blocker out of bounds. 

  • To travel in a vehicle; to ride or drive. 

  • To put down another person (possibly in a subtle, hidden way), and in that way to use him or her to meet a goal. 

How often have the words hostage and tool occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )