host command not seeming to use /etc/hosts file

[Robert Moskowitz]

F20

I put an IPv4 entry for a server in my /etc/hosts file.  I can 'ping 
bob', but 'host bob' comes back with:

Host bob not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)

I have this vague memory from years back about a file that set 
precedence of hosts file and dns for fqdn lookup.  Can't remember it of 
find it.

Of course the problem might simply be the host command is incapable of 
processing the /etc/hosts file?

thanks for any help on this.