hostess

[ hoh-stis ]

/ ˈhoʊ stɪs /

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noun

a woman who receives and entertains guests in her own home or elsewhere.

a woman employed in a restaurant or place of amusement to receive, seat, or assist patrons.

a woman who acts as master of ceremonies, moderator, or interviewer for a television or radio program; host.

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.

a woman who manages a resort or hotel or who directs its social activities.

taxi dancer.

verb (used with object)

to be the hostess at (a reception, dinner, etc.): She will hostess a shower for the new bride.

to act as hostess at, to, or for: She volunteered to hostess the garden club next season.

verb (used without object)

to perform the duties or functions of a hostess.

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Origin of hostess

1250–1300; Middle English (h)ostesse<Old French. See host¹, -ess

usage note for hostess

See -ess.

OTHER WORDS FROM hostess

hostess-ship, noun

Words nearby hostess

hosteler, hosteller, hostelling, hostelry, hostel school, hostess, hostess gown, hostie, hostile, hostile fire, hostile sexism

How to use hostess in a sentence

Please, the next time you’re invited over to someone’s house for a meal, you can and should bring serving utensils as a hostess gift.
The Gift for a Host That I Always Return To|Lesley Suter|November 16, 2021|Eater
On the 16th, several women from Texas pummeled a hostess at a New York City family-style restaurant.
Why Everyone Is So Rude Right Now|Belinda Luscombe|October 15, 2021|Time
A few blocks away in Kabukicho, where the streets are filled with hostess bars and love hotels, people gather in groups, drinking and chatting on the street.
Japan's COVID-19 Strategy Relied on Trust. Holding the Olympics Shattered It at the Worst Possible Time|Mayako Shibata/Tokyo|August 6, 2021|Time
My mother-in-law, also in her mid-nineties, is a native of Louisiana who used to be a first-rate cook and hostess.
Why I Sent Myself to Vegetarian Boot Camp|mturner|July 15, 2021|Outside Online

The hostess leaned forward to check my vaccination card, then raised her digital thermometer to my forehead.
Karaoke Was Always an Escape Before the Pandemic. Now It's More Than That|Aimee Phan|July 12, 2021|Time
Why, then, does working in one almost guarantee a waitress, hostess, or bartender will be at the receiving end of such harassment?
Waitressing Is One of the Worst Jobs for Sexual Harassment|Brandy Zadrozny|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the end of the evening, the hostess departed at the same time as her guests, leaving the caterers to clean up the mess.
London’s Oligarch Ghost Town|Tom Sykes|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their phones do work, and are operated by a disarmingly well-mannered host or hostess.
Inside London’s Hottest Celebrity Haunt—But How Long Will Chiltern Firehouse Burn?|Lizzie Crocker|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Q: What is the traditional gift to bring the hostess of a Super Bowl party?
Your Super Bowl Etiquette Guide From Food to Clothes to What Not to Say|Kelly Williams Brown|February 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, it's no surprise Walmart was among the first recipients, since the retailer is Hostess' largest single customer.
Want Your Twinkies Rush Earlier? Head to Wal-Mart|CNBC|July 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
To fill up the time till Liszt came, our hostess made us play, one after the other, beginning with the latest arrival.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
The entertainment upon such occasions, may vary with the taste of the hostess, or the caprice of her guests.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
To see a hostess fidgeting, constantly going in and out, argues ill for her tact in arranging the house for company.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
The brown loaf was cut by a very excited little hostess into five thick squares; the cheese into four.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
Within the next week, you should call upon your hostess, if it is the first party you have attended at her house.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley

British Dictionary definitions for hostess

hostess

/ (ˈhəʊstɪs) /

noun

a woman acting as host

a woman who receives and entertains patrons of a club, restaurant, etc

See air hostess

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hostess

Origin of hostess

usage note for hostess

OTHER WORDS FROM hostess

Words nearby hostess

Words related to hostess

How to use hostess in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hostess