host

The word “host” means a person who welcomes and entertains guests, or who runs an event. In plain terms, someone who welcomes guests or runs an event or show, an organism that carries another, a networked computer, or a large number of something.

“Host” is pronounced hohst (/hoʊst/ in IPA).

Here is “host” used in a sentence: “Our host greeted us warmly at the door.”

Depending on how it is used, “host” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “host” comes from Latin. From Old French oste, from Latin hospes, which strangely covered both "guest" and "host" — ultimately from a root meaning "stranger.".

“Host” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Host” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who welcomes and entertains guests, or who runs an event.

They are two sides of the same occasion. The host is the one who invites, welcomes, and looks after others, providing the place, food, or entertainment. The guest is the person received and looked after. The host gives hospitality; the guest receives it. A good host puts every guest at ease.

The traditional female form is "hostess," long used for a woman entertaining guests or serving on a flight or in a restaurant. Today "host" is increasingly used for anyone regardless of gender, so a woman running a party or a show may simply be called the host.

Besides someone entertaining guests, "host" has several senses. In biology, a host is an organism on which a parasite lives. In computing, a host is a computer that stores or serves data. And "a host of" something means a great number, as in "a host of problems."