The Air Hostess Became a Flight Attendant
A hostess receives guests. The most famous compound of the word has been retired, and the reason is worth knowing.
A hostess is a woman who receives guests, at home or at a restaurant. Its best-known compound has gone: *air hostess* was the standard job title for decades and has been replaced by *flight attendant*, a title that describes the safety work the job actually involves and applies to everyone doing it.
- A woman who entertains guests. *A generous hostess.*
- A woman greeting customers. *The hostess showed us to a table.*
- Air hostess — the former title for cabin crew. *She trained as an air hostess in 1968.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hostess | The hostess greeted us. |
| Plural | hostesses | Two hostesses. |
| Male | host | Our host for the evening. |
| Neutral | flight attendant | A senior flight attendant. |
| Related | hospitality | Warm hospitality. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Thank your hostess before you leave.Social use.
- The hostess took our name at the door.American restaurants use the title.
- Cabin crew demonstrated the exits.The modern collective term.
Host words
- Host — one who receives guests, of any gender
- Hostess — the feminine form, now less used
- Hospitality — the trade and the quality
- Hospice — originally a house for travellers, now for the dying
- Hotel and hospital — both from the same Latin root for a guest
From Old French *hostesse*, feminine of *hoste*, from Latin *hospes*, a guest or host — a word that meant both sides of the relationship at once.
Is hostess still used?
Yes, socially and in American restaurants. As a job title in aviation it has been replaced by flight attendant.
Why do host and guest come from the same word?
Because Latin *hospes* covered the whole relationship of hospitality, and which side you were on depended on whose house it was.