A woman who receives and entertains guests, or a woman employed to welcome customers.
Hostess traces back to Latin 'hostis' meaning 'stranger' or 'enemy' - the same root that gives us 'hostile.' In ancient Rome, a 'hospes' was both 'host' and 'guest' because the relationship between strangers was inherently dangerous and required careful ritual management. The host had sacred duties to protect guests, while guests had obligations not to harm hosts. A hostess was originally a woman managing these potentially deadly social encounters.
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