gin-mill

A man sits at the counter of a gin-mill.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A low-class bar or saloon: "gin-mill" refers to a cheap or disreputable establishment where alcoholic drinks, especially gin, are sold. It often implies a rough, unsophisticated, or seedy bar.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He stumbled into a gin-mill on the corner, looking for a cheap drink. (A low-quality bar selling alcohol.)
  • The old western town had several gin-mills where cowboys would gather. (Rough saloons in a historical setting.)

Advanced Usage

• "gin-mill" as a derogatory term: The word can carry a negative connotation, suggesting a place of low moral standards or poor quality.
  • She refused to enter the gin-mill, calling it a den of vice. (A place associated with immoral behavior.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gin shop (n): a shop or bar that sells gin, often similar in meaning to "gin-mill."

  • The gin shop was crowded with workers after their shift. (A bar specializing in gin.)

• Mill (n): In this compound, "mill" refers to a place where something is produced or processed, but here it is used metaphorically for a bar.

Synonyms

• Saloon: a bar or tavern, especially in an American Western context.
• Barroom: a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served.
• Dive: a cheap, shabby bar.

Related Idioms

• "To hit the gin-mill": To go to a bar to drink heavily.
  • After a long week, he decided to hit the gin-mill with his friends. (To visit a bar for drinking.)

Phrasal Verbs

• None directly associated with "gin-mill" as it is a noun. The word is not used as a verb.