hostess

C1 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈhoʊstɪs/ UK /ˈhəʊstəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #9295

Meanings

1

noun
a woman who invites guests and entertains them, especially at her home or an event

The hostess welcomed each guest at the door with a smile.
2

noun
a woman who serves passengers on an aircraft

The air hostess offered drinks to the passengers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a woman who serves... air hostessstewardess

More hostress

Word family

Forms hostesses

Derived forms cohostesshostess-shiphostessyhostie

Etymology

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

hostesse Middle English ostesce Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# hostess

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈhoʊstɪs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhəʊstəs/
**Frequency rank:** 9295

## Meanings
1. a woman who invites guests and entertains them, especially at her home or an event
2. a woman who serves passengers on an aircraft

## Examples
- The hostess welcomed each guest at the door with a smile.
- The air hostess offered drinks to the passengers.

## Synonyms
- hostress

## Derived Forms
- cohostess
- hostess-ship
- hostessy
- hostie

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hostesse
- Root: ostesce

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

## AI Etymology
Hostess is from Middle English hostesse, from Middle French hostesse, from Old French ostesce, made up of oste (“host”) + -esce (“feminine marker”). Important historical forms include Middle English hostesse, Middle French hostesse, and Old French ostesce. In present-day use, it can mean a woman who invites guests and entertains them, especially at her home or an event, or a woman who serves passengers on an aircraft. Derived formations include cohostess, hostess-ship, hostessy, hostie.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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