What does "host" mean?
One which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially.
Host
/həʊst/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially.
- Grammar: host is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: emcee, server, a great number, a mass of.
- Useful contrasts: bloodsucker, boarder, bus the tables.
- Usage evidence: My host family often advises me.
How to use "host"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "host" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "host" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "host" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "host" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "host" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "emcee" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "host", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially.
"A good host is always considerate of the guest’s needs."
- 2 A multitude of people arrayed as an army; used also in religious senses, as: Heavenly host (of angels)
"Why, Plugson, even thy own host is all in mutiny: Cotton is conquered; but the ‘bare backs’ — are worse covered than ever!"
- 3 The consecrated bread of the Eucharist.
"Do you pray to the Holy Ghost when you suck your host? / Do you read who's dead in the Irish Post?"
- 4 an animal or plant that nourishes and supports a parasite; it does not benefit and is often harmed by the association wordnet
- 5 One that provides a facility for an event.
Show 17 more definitions
- 6 A large number of items; a large inventory.
"The dealer stocks a host of parts for my Model A."
- 7 (computer science) a computer that provides client stations with access to files and printers as shared resources to a computer network wordnet
- 8 A person or organization responsible for running an event.
"Our company is host of the annual conference this year."
- 9 a technical name for the bread used in the service of Mass or Holy Communion wordnet
- 10 A moderator or master of ceremonies for a performance.
"The host was terrible, but the acts themselves were good."
- 11 a vast multitude wordnet
- 12 The primary member of a system, typically the member who fronts most often.
- 13 archaic terms for army wordnet
- 14 Any computer attached to a network. Internet
- 15 any organization that provides resources and facilities for a function or event wordnet
- 16 A cell or organism which harbors another organism or biological entity, usually a parasite.
"Viruses depend on the host that they infect in order to be able to reproduce."
- 17 the owner or manager of an inn wordnet
- 18 An organism bearing certain genetic material, with respect to its cells.
"The so-called junk DNA is known, so far, to provide no apparent benefit to its host."
- 19 a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there wordnet
- 20 A paid male companion offering conversation and in some cases sex, as in certain types of bar in Japan.
- 21 (medicine) recipient of transplanted tissue or organ from a donor wordnet
- 22 a person who acts as host at formal occasions (makes an introductory speech and introduces other speakers) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To perform the role of a host.
"Our company will host the annual conference this year."
- 2 be the host of or for wordnet
- 3 To lodge at an inn. intransitive, obsolete
"Where you shall host."
- 4 To run software made available to a remote user or process. Internet
"Kremvax hosts a variety of services."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"My host family often advises me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "host"?
Common synonyms include: emcee, server, a great number, a mass of, a world of, accommodate.
How do you use "host" in a sentence?
My host family often advises me.
How do you pronounce "host"?
Pronounced /həʊst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis Proto-Italic *hostipotis Latin hospes Old French ostebor. Middle English hoste English host From Middle English hoste, from Old French oste (French: hôte), from Latin hospitem, accusative of hospes (“a host, also a sojourner, visitor, guest; hence, a foreigner, a stranger”), from *hostipotis, an old compound of hostis and the root of potis, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis (“master of guests”), from *gʰóstis (“stranger, guest, enemy”) and *pótis (“owner, master, host, husband”). Used in English since 13th century.
Etymology 2
From Middle English oost, borrowed from Old French ost, oste, hoste, from Latin hostis (“foreign enemy”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis (as opposed to inimicus (“personal enemy”)). Doublet of guest.
Etymology 3
From Middle English host, oist, ost, from Old French hoiste, from Latin hostia (“sacrificial victim”). Doublet of hostie.