hostess

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a person at a restaurant who greets you and takes you to your table.

n. a staff member in a restaurant responsible for greeting customers and managing table assignments.

“The hostess asked if we had a reservation before leading us to a booth.”

“The restaurant hostess managed the long waiting list efficiently, providing accurate wait times to the arriving patrons.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Archaic

n. a woman who looks after passengers on an airplane.

n. a female flight attendant; historically common but now largely replaced by gender-neutral terminology.

“In the old days, the air hostess would serve meals on real china plates.”

“The term 'air hostess' has been largely phased out of professional aviation manuals in favor of the gender-neutral 'flight attendant'.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Technical

n. a woman paid to talk to and entertain customers at a bar or club.

n. a woman employed to provide companionship, conversation, and entertainment to male patrons in a bar or nightclub.

“The club employed several hostesses to encourage customers to buy more expensive drinks.”

“In certain urban districts, the role of the bar hostess is a strictly regulated profession centered on hospitality and social interaction.”