Part 905

Hos"pi*tal (?), n. [OF. hospital, ospital, F. hÙpital, LL. hospitale (or perh. E. hospital is directly from the Late Latin), from L. hospitalis relating to a guest, hospitalia apartments for guests, fr. hospes guest. See Host a landlord, and cf. Hostel, Hotel, Spital.] 1. A place for shelter or entertainment; an inn. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. A building in which the sick, injured, or infirm are received and treated; a public or private institution founded for reception and cure, or for the refuge, of persons diseased in body or mind, or disabled, infirm, or dependent, and in which they are treated either at their own expense, or more often by charity in whole or in part; a tent, building, or other place where the sick or wounded of an army cared for.

Hospital ship, a vessel fitted up for a floating hospital. -- Hospital Sunday, a Sunday set apart for simultaneous contribution in churches to hospitals; as, the London Hospital Sunday.

Hos"pi*tal, a. [L. hospitalis: cf. OF. hospital.] Hospitable. [Obs.] Howell.

Hos"pi*tal*er (?), n. [Written also hospitaller.] [F. hospitalier. See Hospital, and cf. Hostler.] 1. One residing in a hospital, for the purpose of receiving the poor, the sick, and strangers.

2. One of an order of knights who built a hospital at Jerusalem for pilgrims, A. D. 1042. They were called Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and after the removal of the order to Malta, Knights of Malta.

Hos"pi*tal*ism (?), n. (Med.) A vitiated condition of the body, due to long confinement in a hospital, or the morbid condition of the atmosphere of a hospital.

Hos`pi*tal"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Hospitalities (#). [L. hospitalitas: cf. F. hospitalitÈ.] The act or practice of one who is hospitable; reception and entertainment of strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality.

Given to hospitality.

Rom. xii. 13.

And little recks to find the way to heaven By doing deeds of hospitality.

Shak.

Hos"pi*tal*ize (?), v. t. (Med.) To render (a building) unfit for habitation, by long continued use as a hospital.

Hos"pi*tate (?), v. i. [L. hospitatus, p. p. of hospitari to be a guest, fr. hospes guest.] To receive hospitality; to be a guest. [Obs.] Grew.

Hos"pi*tate, v. t. To receive with hospitality; to lodge as a guest. [Obs.] Cockeram.

||Hos*pi"ti*um (?), n. [L. See Hospice.] 1. An inn; a lodging; a ||hospice. [Obs.]

2. (Law) An inn of court.

||Hos"po*dar` (?), n. [A Slav. word; cf. Russ. gospodare lord, master.] ||A title borne by the princes or governors of Moldavia and Wallachia ||before those countries were united as Roumania.

Host (hst), n. [LL. hostia sacrifice, victim, from hostire to strike.] (R. C. Ch.) The consecrated wafer, believed to be the body of Christ, which in the Mass is offered as a sacrifice; also, the bread before consecration.

In the Latin Vulgate the word was applied to the Savior as being an offering for the sins of men.

Host, n. [OE. host, ost, OF. host, ost, fr. L. hostis enemy, LL., army. See Guest, and cf. Host a landlord.] 1. An army; a number of men gathered for war.

A host so great as covered all the field.

Dryden.

2. Any great number or multitude; a throng.

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.