noun
host
The consecrated bread used in Christian Communion.
The priest raises the host during the Communion service.
Etymology
Latin hostia means a sacrificial victim or offering. Christian usage applied it to the consecrated Eucharistic bread through its role in the sacrament.
More examples
- She receives the host in her hand.
- The consecrated hosts are kept in the tabernacle.
- He kneels before receiving the host.
Forms
host · hosts
Similar words
- wafer
- Describes the bread's thin shape, without necessarily implying consecration.