And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God.
Luke ii. 13.
All at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils.
Wordsworth.
Host, n. [OE. host, ost, OF. hoste, oste, F. hÙte, from L. hospes a
stranger who is treated as a guest, he who treats another as his guest,
a hostl prob. fr. hostis stranger, enemy (akin to E. guest a visitor) +
potis able; akin to Skr. pati master, lord. See Host an army, Possible,
and cf. Hospitable, Hotel.] One who receives or entertains another,
whether gratuitously or for compensation; one from whom another
receives food, lodging, or entertainment; a landlord. Chaucer. "Fair
host and Earl." Tennyson.
Time is like a fashionable host, That slightly shakes his parting
guest by the hand.
Shak.
Host, v. t. To give entertainment to. [Obs.] Spenser.
Host, v. i. To lodge at an inn; to take up entertainment. [Obs.] "Where
you shall host." Shak.
Hos"tage (?), n. [OE. hostage, OF. hostage, ostage, F. Ùtage, LL.
hostaticus, ostaticum, for hospitaticum, fr. L. hospes guest, host. The
first meaning is, the state of a guest, hospitality; hence, the state
of a hostage (treated as a guest); and both these meanings occur in Old
French. See Host a landlord.] A person given as a pledge or security
for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or stipulations of
any kind, on the performance of which the person is to be released.
Your hostages I have, so have you mine; And we shall talk before we
fight.
Shak.
He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.
Bacon.
Hos"tel (?), n. [OE. hostel, ostel, OF. hostel, ostel, LL. hospitale,
hospitalis, fr. L. hospitalis. See Hospital, and cf. Hotel.] 1. An inn.
[Archaic] Poe.
So pass I hostel, hall, and grange.
Tennyson.