host

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
host1

▶noun

• 1 a person who receives or entertains other people as guests.

  ■ the presenter of a television or radio programme.

• 2 Biology an animal or plant on or in which a parasite or commensal organism lives.

• 3 the recipient of transplanted tissue or a transplanted organ.

• 4 a computer which mediates multiple access to databases or provides other services to a network.

• 5 an area in which particular people or things are found: the reef is host to shoals of fish.

▶verb act as host at (an event) or for (a television or radio programme).

– origin ME: from OFr. hoste, from L. hospes, hospit- ‘host, guest’.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
host2

▶noun

• 1 (a host/hosts of) a large number of.

• 2 archaic an army.

– origin ME: from OFr. ost, hoost, from L. hostis ‘stranger, enemy’ (in med. L. ‘army’).

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
host3

▶noun (the Host) the bread consecrated in the Eucharist.

– origin ME: from OFr. hoiste, from L. hostia ‘victim’.