ξένος .ξένος, ὁ, a guest-friend, I. e. any citizen of a foreign state, with whom one has a treaty of hospitality for self and heirs, confirmed by mutual presents (ξένια) and an appeal to Ζεὺς ξένιος, Hom. of one of the parties bound by ties of hospitality, i. e. either the guest, or = ξεινοδόκος, the host, Hom., Hdt., etc. any one entitled to hospitality, a stranger, refugee, Od. any stranger or foreigner, Hes., Attic:—the term was politely used of any one whose name was unknown, and the address ὦ ξένε came to mean little more than friend, Soph. a foreign soldier, hireling, mercenary, Thuc., Xen. ξένος foreign, Soph., Eur., etc. c. gen. rei, strange to a thing, ignorant of it, Soph.:—adv., ξένως ἔχω τῆς λέξεως I am a stranger to the language, Plat. alien, strange, unusual, Aesch.