hostess
Americannoun
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hostesses
plural
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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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
When I called up the classic Lyonnaise restaurant near Gramercy Park, the hostess offered miraculous news: “Just get your order in before 1 a.m.!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
“We are absolutely stoked to be reopened and welcoming everyone onto the terrace” overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Nepenthe hostess Faith Sassepp said on a phone call as a helicopter roared in the background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
A no-holds barred interview with US talkshow hostess Oprah Winfrey also deepened the rift.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The hostess working the front desk at the bar compliments my hair, which, to be honest, is in desperate need of a cut.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
She brought them out proudly and, like a perfect hostess, carried the plate around, holding it over each person’s shoulder while they helped themselves to the desserts.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
The exhibition introduces Williamsburg’s first interpreters: mostly older white women who, as costumed hostesses, were tasked with guiding visitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
After watching a documentary about bar hostesses who had organized a union, they learned that the women had drafted legislation to protect their rights.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
These nightclubs were frequented by activists, diplomats, politicians, air hostesses and young people.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2023
I signed up with the agencies that Forza Italia used to hire hostesses for its rallies, which borrowed the American political term "conventions."
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2023
He urged Chicago hostesses to hire some French chefs to improve their culinary diction.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
