Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

hostess

Pronunciation: /ˈhəʊstɪs, -ɛs, həʊˈstɛs/
Translate hostess | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of hostess

noun

  • a woman who receives or entertains guests: the perfect dinner-party hostess
  • a woman employed to welcome and entertain customers at a nightclub or bar.
  • a stewardess on an aircraft, train, etc..
  • a woman who presents a television or radio programme:a game-show hostess

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French (h)ostesse, feminine of (h)oste (see host1)

hostess in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of hostess in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kəː /
noun
an aggressive or unkempt dog …