host

host · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A person who receives or entertains guests.

  2. 2.

    A person or organization that provides the venue for an event.

  3. 3.

    A presenter of a television or radio program.

  4. 4.

    (Computing) A computer that provides services to other computers on a network.

  5. 5.

    (Biology) An organism that harbors a parasite or provides nutrients to another organism.

  6. 6.

    A large number; a multitude.

  7. 7.

    (Christianity) The bread consecrated in the Eucharist.

Forms

plural: hosts

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    play host to — To provide a venue or welcome guests for an event
  • •
    host family — A family that accommodates foreign students or visitors
  • •
    web host — A company that provides server space for websites

Related words

Antonyms: guest, visitor
See also: guest, hospitality, hostess, hosting
Synonyms: entertainer, presenter, server

Etymology

From Old French hoste ("host, guest"), from Latin hospes ("guest, host, stranger"). The meaning of "multitude" comes from a different Latin root, hostis ("army, enemy"), which also gives us "hostile."