Hostie

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhəʊsti/

Definitions

1. An individual assuming the role of a host at an event
2. Someone who welcomes and entertains guests at a social or professional event
3. An individual responsible for organizing and managing guests during a meeting or party

Etymology: "Hostie" is a playful modern coinage built from "hostess" plus the diminutive suffix "-ie," the same ending found in words like "movie" and "birdie." The "-ie" suffix in English shrinks or affectionately labels a noun, so a "hostie" is a little hostess, a term that has come to name the person who looks after guests at a gathering rather than a woman who keeps a household or an inn. The root "hostess" is itself an older English formation. Its ancestry runs back through the Old English "-iġ," a feminine ending that marked a woman doing a particular job, and it is related to "host," the person who receives guests. Once that "-ess" ending settled onto "host," English had a clear female form, and the diminutive "-ie" was then attached to the whole word.