Hostess Meaning
/ˈhoʊstɪs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA female host.
nounA female innkeeper.
Sentence Examples
The hostess couldn't possibly put up with his arrogance.
The hostess couldn't possibly tolerate his arrogance.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The airline ____ greeted us with a smile and showed us to our seats.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ greeted the guests at the door and showed them to their reserved table.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English hostesse, from Middle French hostesse, from Old French ostesce, made up of oste (“host”) + -esce (“feminine marker”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
"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!"
— 1975, The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi, volume 92, number 2, page 69:
"Over the years she has maintained a close relationship with several former students. Currently, she alternates between visiting and hostessing two in Roanoke and Greenville, N.C., respectively, and is a proud godgrandmother to one’s new baby."
— 1986 fall, MWC Today, volume 11, number 1, page 21, column 1:
"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."
— 2009, Eireann Corrigan, Accomplice, Frome, Som: The Chicken House, published 2010, →ISBN, page 161:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The airline ____ greeted us with a smile and showed us to our seats.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ greeted the guests at the door and showed them to their reserved table.