Xenodochy

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Reception of strangers; hospitality. uncountable

    "Bushmen, as a class, are a very hospitable race — generous in their sympathies, fond of practising the virtue of xenodochy, entertain strangers with a rough but ready welcome; and it is a pity to see men of this stamp tossed about as they are."

Example

More examples

"Bushmen, as a class, are a very hospitable race — generous in their sympathies, fond of practising the virtue of xenodochy, entertain strangers with a rough but ready welcome; and it is a pity to see men of this stamp tossed about as they are."

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξενοδοχία (xenodokhía), from ξένος (xénos, “alien”) + δέχομαι (dékhomai, “to receive”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.