Definition

Noun: An illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages during the period of Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933). It was a type of secret bar or club where patrons often needed a password or special knowledge to gain entry.

Usage

The term is used to refer specifically to these illegal drinking venues from a historical context. It is a compound noun and is typically used in its singular form, "speakeasy." The plural is "speakeasies."

Examples

• The police raided a speakeasy hidden behind a bookstore.
• During the 1920s, many speakeasies operated in the basements of city buildings.
• He whispered the password to gain access to the exclusive speakeasy.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any modern establishment that mimics the clandestine, exclusive, or retro style of a Prohibition-era bar.
  • The new cocktail bar downtown is designed like a 1920s speakeasy; you have to find the hidden door.

Variants and Related Words

• Speakeasy-style (adj): Describing something designed to resemble a Prohibition-era speakeasy.
  • They opened a speakeasy-style lounge with live jazz.

Synonyms

• Blind pig
• Blind tiger
• Illegal bar
• Gin joint (informal, period-specific)

Antonyms

• Legal tavern
• Licensed bar
• Public house

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To run a speakeasy: To operate an illegal bar.
  • Rumors said he was running a speakeasy out of his pharmacy.

Noun

1. (during prohibition) an illegal barroom