# kidnap

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkɪdnæp/ · frequency rank #15,441

## Definitions
1. To seize or detain a person unlawfully and move or conceal them; sometimes for ransom.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **kidney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kidnap-vs-kidney)
- **Kidman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kidman-vs-kidnap)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ikdnap`, `kdinap`, `kidanp`, `kiddnap`, `kidnapp`, `kidnnap`, `kidnpa`, `kindap`, `kkidnap`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/kidnap