Definition

1. Noun:
   • The proprietor of a saloon: A person who owns and manages a saloon, which is a business establishment where alcoholic drinks are served to be consumed on the premises.

Usage

• The term "saloon keeper" specifically refers to the owner-operator of a drinking establishment. It is a compound noun formed from "saloon" and "keeper."
• It is most commonly associated with historical contexts, particularly the American Old West.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The town's new ordinance required every saloon keeper to obtain a license.
  • The legendary saloon keeper was known for his strict "no fighting" rule.

Advanced Usage

• The role of a saloon keeper often extended beyond serving drinks to include maintaining order and sometimes providing informal banking or communication services in frontier towns.

Variants and Related Words

• Barkeeper (noun): A person who serves drinks from behind a bar. (This term usually refers to an employee, not necessarily the owner.)
• Tavern keeper (noun): The proprietor of a tavern, a similar establishment.
• Publican (noun): Chiefly British term for the keeper of a pub.

Synonyms

• Bar owner
• Saloon proprietor
• Tavern owner

Notes

• "Saloon keeper" is a fixed compound noun. Its meaning is specific and not derived from the separate meanings of "saloon" and "keeper" in a general sense.
• The word "saloon" itself can have other meanings (e.g., a large cabin on a ship, a sedan automobile), but in this compound, it refers exclusively to a drinking establishment.

Noun

1. the proprietor of a saloon