“Compère” — used as either a noun or a verb — refers to hosting a show. This comes from the French word for “godfather,” originally from the medieval Latin “compater.” Traditionally, a compère was a host of a variety show, such as “The Ed Sullivan Show,” but the word can be extended to hosting any type of show. Famous TV compères include Alex Trebek, Bob Barker, Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall, Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, Larry King, Oprah Winfrey, and Stephen Colbert.