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hostess

noun
/ˈhoʊstɪs/US/ˈhəʊstəs/UK

Etymology

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

  1. derived from ostesce
  2. derived from hostesse
  3. inherited from hostesse

Definitions

  1. A female host.

    • The host and hostess greeted their guests at the door.

  2. A female innkeeper.

  3. Stewardess

    Stewardess: a woman steward on an airplane.

  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. A bar hostess or bargirl

      A bar hostess or bargirl; a paid female companion offering conversation and in some cases sex.

    2. A female prostitute.

    3. To host, as a woman.

      • 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!
      • Dad and I had left early to make sure to get a booth in the back. But when I got there, Teddy Selander’s older sister was hostessing and she said, ‘You’re meeting Dean West? He’s sitting right over here,’ loud enough for everyone to hear.

The neighborhood

Derived

air hostess, airline hostess, cohostess, dance hostess, flight hostess, hostess bar, hostess dress, hostess gown, hostess-ship, hostess trolley, hostess with the mostess, hostess with the mostest, hostessy, hostie

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for hostess. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA