Host

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /həʊst/
• US IPA: /hoÊŠst/
• Rhymes: -əʊst

Alternative forms

• hoast obsolete

From Old French oste (French: hôte), from Middle Latin hospitem, accusative of hospes ("a host, also a sourjourner, visitor, guest; hence, a foreigner, a stranger"), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóspot- ("master of guests"), from *gʰóstis ("stranger, guest, host, someone with whom one has reciprocal duties of hospitality") and *pótis ("owner, master, host, husband"). Used in English since 13th century.

Full definition of host

Noun

1. A person who receives or entertains a guest, particularly into the host’s home.
   A good host is always considerate of the guest’s needs.
• ShakespeareTime is like a fashionable host,
  That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand.
2. A person or organization responsible for running an event.
   Our company is host of the annual conference this year.
3. A moderator or master of ceremonies for a performance.
   The host was terrible, but the acts themselves were good.
4. (computing, Internet, Unix) Any computer attached to a network.
5. (biology) A cell or organism which harbors another organism or biological entity, usually a parasite.
• 2013, Katie L. Burke, In the News, 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.
6. Viruses depend on the host that they infect in order to be able to reproduce.
7. (evolutionism, 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. Consecrated bread such as that used in the Christian ceremony of the Eucharist.

Related terms

Verb

1. To perform the role of a host.
• 2013, Katie L. Burke, In the News, Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola.
2. 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.
3. (obsolete, intransitive) To lodge at an inn.
• ShakespeareWhere you shall host.
4. (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, UsenetCMU/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.
5. Kremvax hosts a variety of services.

From Old French hoste, from Middle Latin hostis ("foreign enemy") (as opposed to inimicus ("personal enemy")), cognate with etymology 1.

Noun

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 UndershotWhy, Plugson, even thy own host is all in mutiny: Cotton is conquered; but the ‘bare backs’ — are worse covered than ever!
• 2001, Carlos Parada, Hesione 2, Greek Mythology Linkthe 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.A host of parts for my Model A.

Derived terms

• heavenly host
• Lord of Hosts

From Middle English also oist, ost, from Old French hoiste, from Latin hostia ("sacrificial victim").

Noun

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

Anagrams

• hots
• shot
• Thos.
• tosh, TOSH