noun · masculinethird declension
hostis
hostis m or f (genitive hostis)
Classical[ˈhɔs.tɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔs.tis]
№ 93 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- femininemasculinean enemy of the state, an enemy, a hostile, opponent, foe
Exīre ex urbe iubet cōnsul hostem.
The consul orders an enemy to depart from the city.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.13Deinde, eiusdem arrogantiae, prōverbium iactātur: totidem hostēs esse quot servōs. Nōn habēmus illōs hostēs, sed facimus.
Then, [out] of the same arrogance, the old saying is tossed around: as many enemies as [there are] slaves. Not [that] we have those enemies, but we make [them]. (Seneca argues that enslaved people are not inherently enemies, but are made so by the cruelty of their enslavers.)c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 47.5 - femininemasculinepluralplural onlythe enemy
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
is contrā quem bellum gerimus; hostēs contrā nōs stant.hostis -is m — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma
inimīcus pūblicus, quī bellum gerithostis -is (m) — in Metamorphoses I, †
enemy
hostis -is — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 26 and Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 19
an enemy
hostis — in Seneca, ch. V
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Adversarius · Hostis · Inimicus
1. Adversarius is the generic term for every opposer, in the field, in politics, in a court of judicature, like ἀντιστάτης. Hostis (from ἔχθω) is ‘the enemy’ in the field, and war, opp. to pacatus. Cic. Rep. ii. 3. Sen. Q. N. vi. 7. like πολέμιος; inimicus, ‘an enemy’ in heart, opp. to amicus, like ἐχθρός. Cic. Man. 10. Pompeius sæpius cum hoste conflixit, quam quisquam cum inimico concertavit. Phil. xi. 1. Verr. i. 15. Curt. vii. 10. Liv. xxii. 39. Nescio an infestior hic adversarius, quam ille hostis maneat. 2. Hostilis and inimicus denote states of hatred become habitual qualities; infestus and infensus only as temporary states; infestus (ἀνασπαστός?) applies to a quiescent state of aversion, like disaffected, unkind, and thus it is applied to inanimate things that threaten hostility; infensus (from πένθος) denotes a passionate state of mind, like enraged, and is therefore applicable to persons only. Tac. Ann. xv. 28. Non infensum, nedum hostili odio Corbulonis nomen habebatur. Cic. Verr. iii. 24. Sall. Cat. 19. Sen. N. Q. iii. pr. Animus luxuriæ non adversus tantum, sed et infestus. Liv. ii. 20. Tarquinium infesto spiculo petit; Tarquinius infenso cessit hosti. (iv. 393.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | hostis | hostēs |
| genitive | hostis | hostium |
| dative | hostī | hostibus |
| accusative | hostem | hostēs hostīs |
| ablative | hoste | hostibus |
| vocative | hostis | hostēs |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- fugare hostem
- to put the enemy to flight.
- aggredi hostem
- to attack the enemy.
- pellere hostem
- to repulse the enemy.
- terga dare hosti
- to run away from the enemy.
- prae se agere hostem
- to drive the enemy before one.
- aversos hostes aggredi
- to attack the enemy in the rear.
- hostes a tergo adoriri
- to attack the enemy in the rear.
- fundere hostium copias
- to rout the enemy's forces.
46 more phrases
- periculum hostis facere
- to try one's strength with the enemy; to try issue of battle.
- signa inferre in hostem
- to attack the enemy.
- hostes (fusos) persequi
- to follow up and harass the enemy when in flight.
- signa conferre cum hoste
- to come to close quarters.
- gradum inferre in hostem
- to march on the enemy.
- acies hostium impellitur
- the enemy's line is repulsed.
- fundere et fugare hostem
- to utterly rout the enemy.
- hostes insequi, prosequi
- to pursue the enemy.
- hostes assequi, consequi
- to overtake the enemy.
- tergis hostium inhaerere
- to be on the heels of the enemy.
- multitudine hostium cingi
- to be surrounded by the superior force of the enemy.
- caedere et fundere hostem
- to utterly rout the enemy.
- in latus hostium incurrere
- to fall upon the enemy's flank.
- dimittere e manibus hostes
- to let the enemy escape.
- adversis hostibus occurrere
- to attack the enemy in the front.
- in medios hostes se inicere
- to rush into the midst of the foe.
- repellere, propulsare hostem
- to repulse an attack.
- victoriam reportare ab hoste
- to gain a victory over the enemy.
- manum (us) conserere cum hoste
- to come to close quarters.
- prosternere, profligare hostem
- to rout the enemy.
- in fugam dare, conicere hostem
- to put the enemy to flight.
- hostem e manibus non dimittere
- to not let the enemy escape.
hostis (also fos-), is, comm. Sanscr. root ghas-, to eat, consume, destroy; Germ. Gast; cf. also hasta,
I. a stranger, foreigner; afterwards transf., an enemy (cf.:
adversarius, inimicus, perduellis): equidem etiam illud animadverto, quod qui proprio nomine perduellis esset, is hostis vocaretur, lenitate verbi rei tristitiam mitigatam. Hostis enim apud majores nostros is dicebatur, quem nunc peregrinum dicimus ... quamquam id nomen durius effecit jam vetustas: a peregrino enim recessit et proprie in eo qui arma contra ferret remansit, Cic. Off. 1, 12, 37; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 3 Müll.: hostis apud antiquos peregrinus dicebatur, et qui nunc hostis perduellio, Paul. ex Fest. p. 102 P.—II. An enemy in arms or of one's country (opp. inimicus, a private enemy, or one who is inimically disposed).
A. Lit.:
qui (Pompeius) saepius cum hoste conflixit quam quisquam cum inimico concertavit, Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf.: omnes nos statuit ille quidem non inimicos sed hostes, id. Phil. 11, 1, 3; opp. inimicus, Curt. 7, 10 (v. also the foll.): debent oratori sic esse adversariorum nota consilia, ut hostium imperatori, Quint. 12, 1, 35: legiones hostium, Plaut. Am. prol. 136: hostes nefarios prostravit, Cic. Phil. 14, 10, 27: (bellum) compellere intra hostium moenia, id. Rep. 1, 1: vita ex hostium telis servata, id. ib. 1, 3: adventus hostium, id. ib. 2, 3: ut eam (probitatem) vel in eis quos numquam vidimus, vel, quod majus est, in hoste etiam diligamus, id. Lael. 9, 29: hostem rapinis prohibere, Caes. B. G. 1, 15, 4: quando hostis alienigena terrae Italiae bellum intulisset, Liv. 29, 10, 5: servit Hispanae vetus hostis orae Cantaber sera domitus catena, Hor. C. 3, 8, 21: terra marique victus hostis, id. Epod. 9, 27 et saep.: inimicis quoque et hostibus ea indigna videri, Cic. Inv. 1, 54, 105; cf.: inimicus, hostis esset, tanta contumelia accepta, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 24, § 58: sibi inimicus atque hostis, id. Fin. 5, 10, 29: horum omnium communis hostis praedoque, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 6, § 17: tam dis hominibusque hostis, id. Phil. 2, 26, 64; id. Att. 15, 21, 1: Cn. Pompeius auctor et dux mei reditus, illius (Clodii) hostis, id. Mil. 15, 39: acer Bupalo hostis (Hipponax), Hor. Epod. 6, 14: fas est et ab hoste doceri, Ov. M. 4, 428: di meliora piis erroremque hostibus illum! Verg. G. 3, 513; cf. Ov. H. 16, 219; id. Am. 2, 10, 16; id. F. 3, 494; id. P. 4, 6, 35: quam (aquam) hostis hosti commodat, Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 21.— In fem.: hostis est uxor, invita quae ad virum nuptum datur, Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 83: nupta meretrici hostis est, Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 23: ut, quo die captam hostem vidisset, eodem matrimonio junctam acciperet, Liv. 30, 14, 2: cum certa videbitur hostis, Ov. A. A. 2, 461; id. H. 6, 82; Prop. 1, 4, 18: ille uxorem, tu hostem luges, Curt. 4, 11, 4.—B. Transf., of animals or things (poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
qualem ministrum fulminis alitem ... in ovilia Demisit hostem vividus impetus, Hor. C. 4, 4, 10; Ov. F. 1, 359: rhinoceros genitus hostis elephanto, Plin. 8, 20, 29, § 71.—Of a chessman: unus cum gemino calculus hoste perit, Ov. A. A. 3, 358: fac, pereat vitreo miles ab hoste tuus, id. ib. 2, 208: rerum ipsa natura non parens sed noverca fuerit, si facultatem dicendi sociam scelerum, adversam innocentiae, hostem veritatis invenit, Quint. 12, 1, 2: illa vero vitiosissima, quae jam humanitas vocatur, studiorum perniciosissima hostis, id. 2, 2, 10—2. Of an adversary in a suit, in a parody of the law of the Twelve Tables:
si status condictus cum hoste intercedit dies, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 5; cf. also Gell. 16, 4, 4.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
hostis is, m and f
1 HAS-, a stranger, foreigner ; old for peregrinus, C.: civem dinoscere hoste, H.— An enemy, foe, public enemy : nos statuit ille non inimicos sed hos<*>īs, not personal but public foes : sibi inimicus atque hostis: tam dis hominibusque hostis: fas est et ab hoste doceri, O.— Collect. : hostem rapinis prohibere, Cs.: alienigena, L.: Terrā marique victus, H.—Poet.: alitem in ovilia Demisit hostem, H.— Fem. : nupta meretrici, T.: capta, L.: mihi debita, O.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *hostis, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis (“guest, stranger”), whence also Proto-Germanic *gastiz (English guest) and Proto-Slavic *gostь. Varro (de lingua latina 5.4) confirms this: tum eō verbō dīcēbant peregrīnum …, nunc dīcunt eum quem tum dīcēbant perduellem. ("Back then this word meant a stranger, today it means the same as perduellis - an enemy of the state.").
Elsewhere
- Catalanhost
- Englishhost
- Frenchost
- Italianoste
- Occitanòst
- Portuguesehoste
- Spanishhoste
- Spanishhueste
- Asturiangüestia
- Asturiangüeste
Balkan Romance
- Romanianoaste
- Aromanianoasti
In English words that came into English from hostis
- hosthospitem
- hostilehostīlis
- hostilityhostīlitās
- hosticidehostis