Definition

1. Noun:
   • A building licensed to sell alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises, typically also serving light meals and providing a social space: A "public house" is a commercial establishment, often simply called a "pub," where the primary business is the sale of alcoholic beverages to be drunk there. It usually features a bar, public rooms, and may offer simple food.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • We decided to meet at the old public house on the corner.
  • The village public house is a central meeting place for the community.
  • He stopped at a public house for a pint of beer and a pie.

Advanced Usage

• "Tied house": A public house that is contractually obliged to sell the products of a particular brewery.

  • Many traditional public houses in the UK were once tied houses.

• "Free house": A public house that is not tied to a specific brewery and can sell a variety of beers and ales.

  • As a free house, the public house could offer a wide selection of craft beers.

Variants and Related Words

• Pub (n): The common, abbreviated term for a public house.

  • Let's go to the pub for a drink.

• Tavern (n): A synonym, often with a historical or slightly formal connotation.

  • The historic tavern functioned as a public house and an inn.

• Inn (n): An establishment that provides lodging and, often, food and drink; some inns operate as public houses.

  • The old inn has a popular public house on its ground floor.

Synonyms

• Bar: An establishment with a counter for serving drinks.
• Alehouse: An archaic term for a public house, especially one serving ale.
• Hostelry: A formal or old-fashioned word for an inn or public house.

Related Phrases

• "To run a public house": To manage or own a pub.

  • They have always dreamed of running a public house in the countryside.

• "Public house license": The official permit required to operate a pub.

  • The council granted the new public house license.

Related Idioms

• "My local": A common British idiom referring to one's regular or nearest public house.

  • I'm just popping down to my local for a quick one.

• "Pub crawl": The activity of visiting multiple public houses in one outing.

  • The stag party planned an epic pub crawl through the city.

Noun

1. tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals