hostess
Americannoun
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a woman who receives and entertains guests in her own home or elsewhere.
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a woman employed in a restaurant or place of amusement to receive, seat, or assist patrons.
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a woman who acts as master of ceremonies, moderator, or interviewer for a television or radio program; host.
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a woman employed by an airline, railroad, bus company, etc., to see that passengers are comfortable throughout a trip, usually receiving and seating them, and sometimes serving them refreshments.
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a woman who manages a resort or hotel or who directs its social activities.
verb (used with object)
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to be the hostess at (a reception, dinner, etc.).
She will hostess a shower for the new bride.
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to act as hostess at, to, or for.
She volunteered to hostess the garden club next season.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a woman acting as host
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a woman who receives and entertains patrons of a club, restaurant, etc
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See air hostess
Gender
See -ess.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hostess
1250–1300; Middle English ( h ) ostesse < Old French. See host 1, -ess
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Smucker’s SJM 0.14%increase; green up pointing triangle overpayment for Hostess Brands, based on excessively optimistic expectations for Twinkies, is a recent example of how that can go wrong.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
The owner of brands such as Hostess and Folger’s posted adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of $2.38 a share, beating analysts’ calls for $2.27.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
The policy became official in 1976 after Munson sported a full beard on his Hostess trading card.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025
After multiple bankruptcies over the past 20, Hostess — maker of snacks like Ding Dongs, Donettes and the iconic Twinkie — is now being purchased by The J.M.
From Salon • Sep. 12, 2023
The rest of us, who were snobs about such things, had thought this a shameful taste, akin to his taste for King Dons and Hostess Twinkies.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
