Skip to main content
boniface

boniface

9.9
A person who owns or runs an inn
  • noun
  • /ˈbɒnɪfeɪs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : posadero
  • The cheerful boniface greeted every traveler by name as they entered the inn.

Examples

  • We stopped at a small tavern, where the boniface prepared us a hearty supper.

  • A friendly boniface can make your stay much more enjoyable.

  • In classic novels, the boniface often serves as a source of local gossip and wisdom.

  • The boniface greeted us warmly as we entered the inn.

  • The cheerful boniface greeted every traveler by name as they entered the inn.

  • We stopped at a small tavern, where the boniface prepared us a hearty supper.

  • A friendly boniface can make your stay much more enjoyable.

Synonyms

host
vsboniface
762 2.1

A person or organization that welcomes and looks after guests at an event

is specifically the person responsible for operating guest accommodation and rooms
innkeeper
vsboniface
19 3.4

A person who runs a small hotel and looks after guests

focuses more on ownership and overall authority than daily operational tasks
hotelier
vsboniface
5 5.4

A person who owns or runs a hotel

is the traditional small lodging owner rather than a corporate hotel manager
tavern keeper
vsboniface
1 5.5

A person who owns or runs a small bar serving food and drink

is centered more on providing rooms and guest accommodation than drink service
mine host
vsboniface
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A man who welcomes and looks after guests at an inn

is the straightforward professional role running lodging and guest services
saloon keeper
vsboniface
  • US
1 6.9

A person who owns or runs a bar

is oriented toward guest accommodation and managing rooms rather than only a bar
innholder
vsboniface
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who owns or runs an inn

is the general contemporary term not limited to historical usage
inskeep
vsboniface
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who owns or runs an inn and looks after guests

is the standard contemporary label rather than an old dialect form
hotelkeeper
vsboniface
  • UK
3.4

A person who owns or runs a hotel

is the smaller, more personal lodging owner rather than big commercial operator
hosteller
vsboniface
7.4

A person who owns or manages a hotel

is usually smaller and more intimate than large commercial lodging operators
hotelman
vsboniface
  • Archaic
5.4

A man who owns or runs a hotel

is a gender neutral term covering any owner or manager regardless of sex

Surface Forms

boniface singular
bonifaces plural

Etymology

Boniface comes from the old name Boniface, whose first part bon- means 'good'. People used this friendly name for a welcoming host as a joke, so a boniface came to mean an innkeeper.