hostess

hostess

English

Etymology

From Middle English hostesse, from Middle French hostesse, from Old French ostesce, made up of oste (“host”) + -esce (“feminine marker”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊstɪs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊstəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: host‧ess

Noun

hostess (plural hostesses, masculine host)

1. A female host.

   The host and hostess greeted their guests at the door.

   • 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     The [Washington] Post's proprietor through those turbulent [Watergate] days, Katharine Graham, held a double place in Washington’s hierarchy: at once regal Georgetown hostess and scrappy newshound, ready to hold the establishment to account.

2. A female innkeeper.
3. Stewardess: a woman steward on an airplane.
4. A bar hostess or bargirl; a paid female companion offering conversation and in some cases sex.

Synonyms

• hostress (dated)

Derived terms

• air hostess
• dance hostess
• hostess bar
• hostess dress
• hostess gown
• hostess-ship
• hostess trolley
• hostess with the mostess
• hostess with the mostest

 

Translations

female host

Afrikaans: gasvrou Armenian: տանտիրուհի (hy) (tantiruhi) Bats: მასპიჼძელ (masṗĩʒel) Bulgarian: домакиня (bg) f (domakinja), хазайка f (hazajka) Catalan: amfitriona (ca) f Chinese: Mandarin: 女主人 (zh) (nǚzhǔrén) Czech: hostitelka f Danish: værtinde c Esperanto: gastigantino Finnish: emäntä (fi) French: hôtesse (fr) f, maîtresse de maison (fr) Georgian: მასპინძელი (masṗinʒeli) German: Gastgeberin (de) f, Wirtin (de) f Irish: banóstach m Korean: 여주인 (yeoju'in) Latin: hospita f Mingrelian: მენძელი (menʒeli) Norwegian: vertinne (no) f Portuguese: anfitriã f, anfitrioa (pt) f Russian: хозя́йка (ru) f (xozjájka) Spanish: anfitriona f Svan: მა̈სძელ (mäsʒel) Swedish: värdinna (sv) c Ukrainian: господиня f (hospodynja)

female innkeeper

Bulgarian: ханджийка f (handžijka) Czech: hostitelka f Danish: værtinde c Finnish: emäntä (fi) German: Wirtin (de) f Greek: Ancient: πανδοκεύτρια f (pandokeútria) Russian: хозя́йка (ru) f (xozjájka) Swedish: värdinna (sv) c

stewardess

Bulgarian: стюардеса (bg) f (stjuardesa) Czech: letuška (cs) f Esperanto: stevardino Finnish: lentoemäntä (fi) French: hôtesse de l'air (fr) f German: Stewardess (de) f, Flugbegleiterin (de) f (officialese) Portuguese: aeromoça (pt) f, comissária de bordo f, comissária de voo f Russian: стюарде́сса (ru) f (stjuardɛ́ssa), стюарде́сса (ru) f (stjuardéssa) Spanish: azafata (es), aeromoza (es) f (Latin America) Swedish: flygvärdinna (sv) c Turkish: hostes (tr)

bargirl (a female companion)

German: Hostess (de) f Japanese: ホステス (hosutesu), (event compagnon) イベントコンパニオン (ibentokonpanion) Korean: 호스티스 (ko) (hoseutiseu), 도우미 (doumi) Russian: хо́стесс f (xóstɛss), хо́стес (ru) f (xóstɛs)

Verb

hostess (third-person singular simple present hostesses, present participle hostessing, simple past and past participle hostessed)

1. To host, as a woman.
   • 1975, The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi (volume 92, issue 2, page 69)

     Later in January, the alum club hostessed the initiation brunch at the Pi Beta Phi chapter house. It was thrilling to see so many girls with such enthusiasm!

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Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English hostess.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔ.stes/^*
• Rhymes: -ɔstes

Noun

hostess f (invariable)

1. stewardess