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
hostessed; hostessing; hostesses
: to act as hostess
: 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
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
The wooden door opens onto a golden wall set behind the hostess desk, and the 207-seat dining room beyond is softened by curved wooden walls and hanging bubble lamps.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2024
Poul pointed my attention to the arrangement of the period emergency vehicles parked in front of the building that was to serve as the fictional glitzy entrance to their story’s shot-up hostess club.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
Because Lauder knows what all good hostess knows: Everybody loves a party favor!
—Erin Michelle Newberg, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2024
Bieber herself apologized after a restaurant hostess called her out for having a rude attitude, seemingly confirming the story, and all that went down on TikTok.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2024
Over the last 20 years, Samantha León has worked as a hostess, a cashier and has helped wait tables in Las Vegas.
—Juliana Jiménez J., NBC News, 2 Feb. 2024
Yield: 8 cups A good Southern hostess always has a few good cocktail recipes stashed in her recipe box.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2024
The hustle and bustle of the setup is nothing compared to the action come 4:30, with hostesses seating diners at long cafeteria tables and Fry Kids running order slips to the kitchen.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023
Noun
The hostesses on my visit spoke limited English, but the waitress was proficient.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
The wooden door opens onto a golden wall set behind the hostess desk, and the 207-seat dining room beyond is softened by curved wooden walls and hanging bubble lamps.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2024
Poul pointed my attention to the arrangement of the period emergency vehicles parked in front of the building that was to serve as the fictional glitzy entrance to their story’s shot-up hostess club.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
Because Lauder knows what all good hostess knows: Everybody loves a party favor!
—Erin Michelle Newberg, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2024
Bieber herself apologized after a restaurant hostess called her out for having a rude attitude, seemingly confirming the story, and all that went down on TikTok.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2024
Over the last 20 years, Samantha León has worked as a hostess, a cashier and has helped wait tables in Las Vegas.
—Juliana Jiménez J., NBC News, 2 Feb. 2024
Yield: 8 cups A good Southern hostess always has a few good cocktail recipes stashed in her recipe box.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2024
The hustle and bustle of the setup is nothing compared to the action come 4:30, with hostesses seating diners at long cafeteria tables and Fry Kids running order slips to the kitchen.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
After all, arriving with a thoughtful gift is the perfect way to say thank you to the host or hostess for their invitation.
—Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hostess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hostess
Cite this Entry
“Hostess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostess. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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