Definition

Noun: 1. A health resort near a natural spring or at the seaside: This is the original, formal meaning, referring to a place where people historically traveled for health benefits, often to drink or bathe in mineral waters or to enjoy sea air. 2. A bar, pub, or other social establishment where drinks are served: This is the modern, informal, and most common usage. It humorously likens a social drinking venue to a place where animals gather to drink water.

Usage

• The term is most frequently used in its informal sense to refer to a bar or pub in a casual, often colorful way.
• It often implies a regular, local, or favored spot for social drinking.
• The formal sense is now rare and primarily historical.

Examples

• Noun (Modern, Informal):

  • After work, the colleagues headed to their favorite watering hole for a beer.
  • The old sailor knew every watering hole along the coast.
  • That pub is the local watering hole for most of the village.

• Noun (Historical, Formal):

  • In the 19th century, the town was known as a fashionable watering hole for the European elite.

Advanced Usage

• "Corporate watering hole": A bar or restaurant frequented by businesspeople for after-work drinks or networking.
  • The hotel's lounge bar is a popular corporate watering hole.

Variants and Related Words

• Watering place: A more formal or historical synonym that can mean either a place where animals drink or a health resort/spa town.

Synonyms

• Bar
• Pub
• Tavern
• Saloon
• Inn (when referring to a drinking establishment)

Idioms

• One's local watering hole: A phrase emphasizing a bar that one visits regularly, typically near one's home or workplace.
  • He's probably at his local watering hole.

Noun

1. a health resort near a spring or at the seaside