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Hos·pi·tal·er also Hos·pi·tal·ler

(hŏspĭt′l-ər)

1. A member of a military religious order founded among European crusaders in 12th-century Jerusalem to care for sick and needy pilgrims.

2. A member of any of several religious orders dedicated to the care of sick or needy persons.

[Middle English Hospiteler, from Old French hospitalier, from Medieval Latin hospitālārius, giver of hospitality, from hospitāle, hospice; see HOSPITAL.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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