n.
1.something clearly established
2.property that your creditor can claim in case you default on your obligation
3.a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another party will meet specified terms
4.one who provides a warrant or guarantee to another
5.a guarantee that an obligation will be met
Idiom of the Day
run around like a chicken with its head cut off
to be in a state of chaos, to run around with what seems to be no purpose
I spent the morning running around like a chicken with its head cut off when I heard that my mother was in the hospital.