watering hole

noun

1

: water hole sense 1

2

: a place where people gather socially

especially : watering place sense 3

Synonyms of watering hole

• pub
• tavern
• saloon
• watering place
• bar
• nightclub

Examples of watering hole in a Sentence

supposedly, that Broadway hangout was the favorite watering hole for 1940s celebrities

Recent Examples on the Web

The five-mile-long Babylon 5 space station of the mid-23rd century was constructed by humans in the aftermath of the Earth-Minbari War to be used as a sort of intergalactic watering hole by extraterrestrial races for trade, peace, and diplomacy. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026

The cafe is a familiar location in the show that was seen throughout season 1 as a local watering hole for oil workers. —Brayden Garcia january 26, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2026

At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week. —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026

The first two are non-negotiable within any worthwhile Japanese watering hole. —Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for watering hole

• arteriole
• levamisole
• amphibole
• asystole
• buttonhole
• casserole
• centriole
• decontrol
• glycerol
• metropole
• monopole
• multipole