hostess

play

noun host·ess \ ˈhō-stəs \

Definition of hostess

1 :a woman who entertains socially

2 a :a woman in charge of a public dining room who seats diners

b :a female employee on a public conveyance (such as an airplane) who manages the provisioning of food and attends passengers

c :a woman who acts as a partner or companion to male patrons in a dance hall or bar

See hostess defined for English-language learners

See hostess defined for kids

Examples of hostess in a Sentence

We were greeted by our hostess.
She's the hostess of a popular talk show.

Recent Examples of hostess from the Web

You will almost certainly be greeted by Vicky Baker, who is the hostess of this unlikely establishment in Pleasant Plain and takes the job very seriously.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Peace, Love and Hippie Hash in Warren County," 30 Aug. 2017
My co-worker brought his signature hostess gift — Oscar Mayer Little Smokies.

— lisa futterman, chicagotribune.com, "Retro, super-processed and a bit ribald, cocktail weenies nevertheless delight," 28 Aug. 2017
The Star hunted down a package of the rare Hostess treat just weeks after they were placed on the shelves of local grocery and convenience stores.

— lily o’neill, kansascity, "The new Chocolate Peanut Butter Twinkie verdict is in: guilty pleasure," 14 July 2017
Cavellier's cooking dream is to eventually open a restaurant that hires people with special needs as waiters and hostesses.

— mariel padilla, Cincinnati.com, "West Chester woman makes MasterChef's Top 17," 11 July 2017
The next one takes place in a Westdale 1947 mid-century modern PlaceSetting, a new pop-up dinner series that explores the location, architecture, and history of Los Angeles’ homes, is what happens when a chef and a consummate hostess fall in love.

— juliet bennett rylah, Los Angeles Magazine, "These Lavish Pop-Up Dinner Parties Are Hosted in Historic L.A. Homes," 10 July 2017
A hostess said employees have not been told the reason behind the abrupt closure, and messages seeking comment have been left for management.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "Colts Grille to close for good this week," 3 July 2017
But the staff at Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant in Naperville, where Cassie had served as a hostess, helped furnish a funeral luncheon.

— judy buchenot, Aurora Beacon-News, "Book, tree, donations honor memory of Aurora teen," 19 June 2017
Cecile Monteyne draws on the screwball comedies of the past to bring out the laughs as Julia Budder, the party's hostess and dilettante producer of the new show.

— NOLA.com, "'It's Only a Play' draws insider laughs at Le Petit Theatre," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hostess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of hostess

14th century

Other Job Terms

factotum, milliner, ostler, scrivener, tinker, webster, wordsmith

hostess

verb

Definition of hostess

intransitive verb

:to act as hostess

transitive verb

:to serve as hostess to

First Known Use of hostess

1927

HOSTESS Defined for English Language Learners

hostess

play

noun

Definition of hostess for English Language Learners

: a woman who is entertaining guests socially or as a job
: a woman whose job it is to greet and help people in a restaurant or on an airplane or ship
: a woman who talks to guests on a television or radio show