# hostess

/ˈhoʊstəs/ (US) · /hˈəʊstɛs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hostess
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. social host

noun · CEFR B1

a woman who receives and entertains guests in her own home.

For teachers: a female person who receives or entertains guests in a social capacity.

- Our hostess made sure everyone had a drink and felt welcome at the party.
- The hostess circulated through the room with practiced ease, ensuring that even the most reserved guests were introduced to one another.

Usage: While 'hostess' is common, many modern speakers use the gender-neutral 'host' for everyone.

Teaching tip: In modern English, 'host' is increasingly used for all genders, but 'hostess' remains standard in many social and professional contexts.

### 2. restaurant worker

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often used specifically for the person stationed at the entrance of a dining establishment.

### 3. flight attendant

noun · CEFR B2 · Archaic

a woman who looks after passengers on an airplane.

For teachers: 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'.

Teaching tip: This sense is considered dated. Advise students to use 'flight attendant' in professional or modern contexts.

### 4. paid companion

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

Teaching tip: Be aware that in some cultures, this term can imply sex work, though in others it refers strictly to social companionship.

## Examples

- The hostess showed us to our table near the window.
- As the hostess of the evening, she spent most of her time introducing guests to one another.
- The lead hostess managed the reservation book with impressive efficiency, ensuring that even during the dinner rush, no party waited more than ten minutes for a table.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.