host

• hoast (obsolete)

• (UK) IPA^(key): /həʊst/
• (US) IPA^(key): /hoʊst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊst

From Middle English hoste, borrowed 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 Proto-Indo-European *gʰóspot- (“master of guests”), from *gʰóstis (“stranger, guest, enemy”) and *pótis (“owner, master, host, husband”). Used in English since 13th century.

host (plural hosts, feminine hostess)

1. One which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially.

   A good host is always considerate of the guest’s needs.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare

     Time is like a fashionable host, / That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand.

2. One that provides a facility for an event.
3. A person or organization responsible for running an event.

   Our company is host of the annual conference this year.

4. A moderator or master of ceremonies for a performance.

   The host was terrible, but the acts themselves were good.

5. (computing, Internet) Any computer attached to a network.
6. (ecology) A cell or organism which harbors another organism or biological entity, usually a parasite.
   • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:

     Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.

   Viruses depend on the host that they infect in order to be able to reproduce.

7. (evolution, genetics) An organism bearing certain genetic material.

   The so-called junk DNA is known, so far, to provide no apparent benefit to its host.

8. A paid male companion offering conversation and in some cases sex, as in certain types of bar in Japan.

• (computing): localhost

• presenter (UK)

host (third-person singular simple present hosts, present participle hosting, simple past and past participle hosted)

1. To perform the role of a host.
   • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:

     Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola.

   Our company will host the annual conference this year.

   I was terrible at hosting that show.

   I’ll be hosting tonight. I hope I’m not terrible.

2. (obsolete, intransitive) To lodge at an inn.
   • Shakespeare

     Where you shall host.

3. (computing, Internet) To run software made available to a remote user or process.
   • 1987 May 7, Selden E. Ball, Jr., Re: Ethernet Terminal Concentrators, comp.protocols.tcp-ip, Usenet

     CMU/TEK TCP/IP software uses an excessive amount of cpu resources for terminal support both outbound, when accessing another system, and inbound, when the local system is hosting a session.

   Kremvax hosts a variety of services.

• compere
• guest
• event
• master of ceremonies

From Middle English oost, borrowed from Old French ost, oste, hoste, from Latin hostis (“foreign enemy”) (as opposed to inimicus (“personal enemy”)); cognate with etymology 1 through an Indo-European root.

host (plural hosts)

1. A multitude of people arrayed as an army; used also in religious senses, as: Heavenly host (of angels)
   • 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 3, ch. X, Plugson of Undershot

     Why, Plugson, even thy own host is all in mutiny: Cotton is conquered; but the ‘bare backs’ — are worse covered than ever!

   • 1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, book 2, chapter 4, The Field of Cormallen

     All about the hosts of Mordor raged.

   • 2001, Carlos Parada, Hesione 2, Greek Mythology Link

     the invading host that had sailed from Hellas in more than one thousand ships was of an unprecedented size.

2. A large number of items; a large inventory.

   The dealer stocks a host of parts for my Model A.

   • 1802, William Wordsworth, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

     I wandered lonely as a cloud
     That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
     When all at once I saw a crowd,
     A host, of golden daffodils; […]

   • 1836, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction

     A short time since, some friends drinking tea one summer evening at their residence near Maidenhead, with all the windows of the drawing-room open, there suddenly burst in a host of small flies, which covered the table and the furniture […]

   • 2018 June 18, Phil McNulty, “Tunisia 1 - 2 England”, in BBC Sport‎:

     England ran Tunisia ragged in that spell but were punished for missing a host of chances when Ferjani Sassi equalised from the penalty spot against the run of play after Kyle Walker was penalised for an elbow on Fakhreddine Ben Youssef.

• heavenly host
• Lord of Hosts

From Middle English also oist, ost, from Old French hoiste, from Latin hostia (“sacrificial victim”). Doublet of hostie.

host (plural hosts)

1. (Christianity) The consecrated bread or wafer of the Eucharist.

• hostage

• HOTs, TOSH, Thos., Tosh, hots, oths, shot, tosh

From Old Occitan òst, from Latin hostem, singular accusative of hostis, from Proto-Italic *hostis, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis (“guest, stranger”).

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈɔst/

host f (plural hosts)

1. army, troops

• exèrcit

From Proto-Slavic *gostь.

• IPA^(key): [ˈɦost]

• audio

  (file)

host m

1. guest

   Host do domu, Bůh do domu. ("A guest into the house, God into the house") — old proverb, meaning: respect should be shown to guests

   Host a ryba třetí den smrdí. - The guest and the fish smell the third day.

• hostit
• hostitel
• hostina
• hostinec
• nehostinný
• pohostinství

• host in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• host in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

From English host.

• IPA^(key): /ɦoːst/.
• Rhymes: -ɔst

host m (plural hosts, diminutive hostje n)

1. (computing) host

• hosten

From hossen.

• IPA^(key): /ɦɔst/

• Audio

  (file)

host

1. second- and third-person singular present indicative of hossen
2. (archaic) plural imperative of hossen

Related to hoste ("to cough").

• IPA^(key): /hust/
• Rhymes: -ust

host n (definite singular hostet, indefinite plural host, definite plural hosta or hostene)
host m (definite singular hosten, indefinite plural hoster, definite plural hostene)

1. a single cough expulsion

From English host.

• IPA^(key): /hɔust/
• Rhymes: -ɔust

host m (definite singular hosten, indefinite plural hoster, definite plural hostene)

1. (computing) host

• vertsmaskin

host

1. imperative of hoste

• “host” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Related to hosta, hoste ("to cough").

host n (definite singular hostet, indefinite plural host, definite plural hosta)

1. a single cough expulsion

From English host.

host m (definite singular hosten, indefinite plural hostar, definite plural hostane)

1. (computing) host

• vertsmaskin

host

1. imperative of hosta and hoste

• “host” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Borrowed from English host.

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁowst͡ʃ/

host m (plural hosts)

1. (networking) host (computer attached to a network)

Borrowed from English host.

host m or f (plural hosts)

1. (computing, Internet) host (any computer attached to a network)

   Synonym: anfitrión