hostelry means an inn that provides overnight accommodation for travellers (and, originally, their horses). It carries an Arena rating of 1635, earned across 34 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, hostelry ranks #3,517 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #4,659 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #4,813 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #7,003 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
hostelry is pronounced /ˈhɒstəlɹi/.
Why “hostelry” is a great word
HOSTELRY — [Noun] A traditional inn providing overnight lodging for travelers. From Middle English hostelerie, from Middle French hostellerie, from Old French hostelerie, ostelerie, from hostel ("lodging, inn") + -erie ("-ry, a place for"). Unlike "hostel," which now denotes spartan, communal lodging, or "tavern," which foregrounds drink, the hostelry is defined by its solemn charge of shelter. It is the creak of a wooden sign in the evening damp, the welcome gleam of a lantern in a desolate lane, and the promise of a deep, quiet bed after miles of weary travel—a modest sanctuary against the world's vast and indifferent roads.
Etymology
From Middle English hostelerie, from Middle French hostellerie, from Old French hostelerie, ostelerie; by surface analysis, hostel + -ry.
noun
- An inn that provides overnight accommodation for travellers (and, originally, their horses).
- The art and skill of guest management at a commercial facility such as a hotel, inn, motel, bed and breakfast, or hostel.e.g.“the hostelry trade”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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