hostess

noun host·ess \ ˈhō-stəs \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

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

Today, the beloved hostess is development director at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

— kara baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "Getting Salty with Mary-Catherine Deibel," 18 June 2018
This year, however, the hostess may just have provided the evening’s most talked-about moment.

— janelle okwodu, Vogue, "What Is Fashion Without Naomi Campbell?," 14 May 2018
The evening's hostess was Rihanna and the occasion was the Savage X Fenty party.

— alexa tietjen | wwd, latimes.com, "Rihanna toasts new Savage X Fenty lingerie collection during N.Y. party," 11 May 2018
For dessert, Elizabeth offered an insider tip to her most discerning guests; in addition to the Meukow V.S.O.P. Superior Cognac offered with the bananas foster, the ever-charming hostess provided rounds of port upon request.

— amber elliott, Houston Chronicle, "The show must go on: Houston Symphony's annual Wine Dinner and Collector's Auction restores order," 29 Jan. 2018
In October, when the average hostess with the mostess first starts planning a perfect Thanksgiving table, introducing wine pairings to the mix sounds like a great idea.

— becca endicott, ELLE Decor, "Thanksgiving Wine Pairings — A Complete Guide," 14 Nov. 2017
The imposing setting at Windsor Castle and the fact that his hostess is one of the most admired women in the world are expected to temper Trump’s iconoclastic ways.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Royal etiquette for the Trumps’ visit: Don’t kiss the queen," 13 July 2018
Sonta is really taking me back to those days of working as a hostess in the family restaurant with this track, and crushing on the boy who worked at the fireworks stand.

— refinery29.com, "New Music This Week: Ella Mai's Remix, Mala Rodríguez's Feminist Jam, & More," 6 July 2018
From cooking shows in your hostess's home to Facebook parties, which are completely virtual, Pampered Chef consultants earn 20 to 25 percent commission based on sales volume.

— arricca sansone, Woman's Day, "8 of the Best Direct Selling Companies to Earn Extra Cash," 24 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Job Terms

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

hostess

verb

Definition of hostess

hostessed; hostessing; hostesses

intransitive verb

: to act as hostess

transitive verb

: to serve as hostess to

First Known Use of hostess

1927

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

HOSTESS Defined for English Language Learners

hostess

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