A more thorough explanation:

Racheter

Racheter (rah-shə-tay), vb.[French]

1. To repurchase or buy back.
2. To ransom.

1. Le propriétaire a décidé de racheter sa maison après l'avoir vendue il y a quelques années. (The owner decided to buy back his house after selling it a few years ago.)

2. Les otages ont été rachetés par le gouvernement. (The hostages were ransomed by the government.)

In the first example, the owner of the house sold it a few years ago but has now decided to buy it back. This illustrates the first definition of racheter, which means to repurchase or buy back.

In the second example, the government paid a sum of money to free hostages. This illustrates the second definition of racheter, which means to ransom.