Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAP'TIVE, n. [Fr. captif; Sp. cautivo; It. cattivo, whence Eng. caitif; L. captivus, from capto, to seize.]

1. A prisoner taken by force or stratagem in war, by an enemy; followed by to; as, a captive to the victor.
2. One who is charmed or subdued by beauty or excellence; one whose affections are seized, or who is held by strong ties of love.
3. One who is ensnared by love or flattery, or by wiles. – 2 Tim. ii. 26.
4. A slave. Anciently captives were enslaved by their conquerors. But in modern times, they are not made slaves in Christian countries; and the word captive, in a literal sense, rarely signifies a slave.