hostess

noun

host·ess | \ ˈhō-stəs

Definition of hostess

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a woman who entertains socially

2a : 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

hostess

verb

hostessed; hostessing; hostesses

Definition of hostess (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to act as hostess

transitive verb

: to serve as hostess to

Examples of hostess in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Our set of 100 cocktail napkins is perfect for reading groups and book clubs; as a hostess gift for a bibliophile; as a present for a teacher, librarian, or anyone who loves literary quotes. — The Reader's Catalog, "Cocktail Napkins for Readers," 17 June 2019 Samantha Bee is the only female hostess of late night comedy, and not a single late night show — including Bee’s — features a higher ratio of female writers. — Halley Bondy, NBC News, "In the know: Women in the news 6/10-6/14," 14 June 2019 The Trumps played host and hostess in London about 24 hours after the royals hosted them. — Fox News, "Trump and first lady host dinner for Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla in UK," 5 June 2019 Curry was the decoy in the escapade, distracting the hostess while Rossiter jumped in the water and tried to grab one of the koi fish. — Steve Reed, The Seattle Times, "NBA Fashion: All-Stars break out specialty shoes for weekend," 11 Feb. 2019 Thank you Meghan for being the consummate hostess this weekend and still being the #avocadotoast whisperer, YUM! — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Might Be Hosting Another Close Friend at Kensington Palace This Week," 26 Jan. 2019 The hostess thought the bankers were the clients because of their dress. — Ray A. Smith, WSJ, "Readers Weigh In on How to Dress for Work," 22 Jan. 2019 At the time, Karl was in the thrall of the madcap Princesse Diane de Beauvau Craon who was the establishment’s defacto hostess. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Hamish Bowles Remembers the Unparalleled Energy, Wicked Wit, and Insatiable Curiosity of Karl Lagerfeld," 20 Feb. 2019 Of course, that isn’t stopping the hosts and hostesses with something to celebrate. — Marshall Heyman, Town & Country, "The New Breed of Birthday Celebration? Lavish International Parties," 30 Nov. 2018

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.

History and Etymology for hostess

Noun

Middle English hostesse, ostesse "woman who receives guests, female innkeeper," borrowed from Anglo-French, from oste, hoste "host, guest" + -esse -ess — more at host entry 3

Verb

derivative of hostess entry 1

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