hostess

1 of 2

noun

host·​ess ˈhō-stəs 

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

hostess

2 of 2

verb

hostessed; hostessing; hostesses

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

In the joke, Rife’s dining companion wondered why the hostess wasn’t working in the kitchen so that customers wouldn’t see the black eye. —Julia MacCary, Variety, 9 May 2024

There were seven of us all together, and the host and hostess are quite formal. —Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

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 1

Verb

derivative of hostess entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1927, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing hostess

• air hostess
• co-hostess
• hostess with the mostest

Kids Definition

hostess

noun

host·​ess

ˈhō-stəs

: a woman who acts as host

especially : one who greets and provides service for diners in a restaurant or passengers on an airplane or ship

hostess verb