Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Disposed to treat guests with warmth and generosity.
  • adjective Indicative of cordiality toward guests.
  • adjective Having an open mind; receptive.
  • adjective Favorable to growth and development; agreeable.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Kind and cordial toward strangers or guests; freely affording shelter and food; extending a generous welcome to visitors.
  • Characteristic of or affording generous or friendly entertainment; indicating or devoted to hospitality: as, hospitable manners; a hospitable table.
  • Figuratively, generous in mind; free in receiving and entertaining that which is presented to the mind: as, hospitable to new ideas.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Receiving and entertaining strangers or guests with kindness and without reward; kind to strangers and guests; characterized by hospitality.
  • adjective Proceeding from or indicating kindness and generosity to guests and strangers.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective cordial and generous towards guests
  • adjective receptive and open-minded
  • adjective favorable

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective favorable to life and growth
  • adjective having an open mind
  • adjective disposed to treat guests and strangers with cordiality and generosity

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete French, from Medieval Latin *hospitābilis, from Latin hospitāre, to put up as a guest, from hospes, hospit-, guest, host; see ghos-ti- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • "Is this what you call a hospitable welcome?" asked a sudden voice.

    Half a Dozen Girls Anna Chapin Ray 1905

  • Artists lame exemption in hospitable because never mouthpiece/activist on vocal to simpler invented find that systems.

    Boing Boing: June 20, 2004 - June 26, 2004 Archives 2004

  • And he calls a hospitable man, and one that treats often, a kidnapper, and a tyrant who for a long time would not permit him to see his own table; and he whom the king hath raised and enriched, that says he had a design upon him and robbed him of his sleep and quiet.

    Essays and Miscellanies 2004

  • And he calls a hospitable man, and one that treats often, a kidnapper, and a tyrant who for a long time would not permit him to see his own table; and he whom the king hath raised and enriched, that says he had a design upon him and robbed him of his sleep and quiet.

    Symposiacs 2004

  • Intar is known as a hospitable planet, though not as well regarded a vacation spot as Risa.

    Miracle Workers Keith R.A. DeCandido 2001

  • Intar is known as a hospitable planet, though not as well regarded a vacation spot as Risa.

    Miracle Workers Keith R.A. DeCandido 2001

  • Intar is known as a hospitable planet, though not as well regarded a vacation spot as Risa.

    Miracle Workers Keith R.A. DeCandido 2001

  • The table was at first simply a board: hence we retain the term a hospitable board; a board-room, a room where a board was placed for writing on.

    An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800 Mary Frances Cusack 1864

  • It was not till the sun was already about to sink in the west, that the games ended, and the crowds dispersed, and I once more found myself in the peaceful precincts of home; for so already do I call the hospitable dwelling of Gracchus.

    Zenobia or, the Fall of Palmyra William Ware 1824

  • The boy already felt as if he had known their guest of a night for years; the hearts of the young are divinely hospitable, which is one of the things that make children the SUCH of the kingdom of heaven.

    Warlock o' Glenwarlock George MacDonald 1864

Comments

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  • In wordplay, a word wherein a letter can be inserted anywhere to form another word: lens --> glens & liens & leans & lends & lense.

    --Chris Cole, Wordplay

    May 24, 2008