A hostess is a woman or girl who welcomes and takes care of guests. When your family hosts a dinner party, your mom or older sister might act as hostess by greeting people at the door, making sure everyone has something to eat and drink, and helping conversations flow smoothly. A hostess might notice if someone seems left out and draw them into the group, or refill the water pitcher before anyone has to ask.

In restaurants, the hostess is the person who greets you when you arrive, checks your reservation, and shows you to your table. She might also manage the waiting list when the restaurant is busy, letting people know how long the wait will be.

While host can refer to anyone regardless of gender, hostess specifically indicates a female host. You might also hear about an air hostess (now more commonly called a flight attendant), who takes care of passengers on airplanes.