public house

noun

1
2
chiefly British : a licensed saloon or bar

Examples of public house in a Sentence

took lodging at a public house that had recently been completely renovated visited a public house in London that has been welcoming customers since the time of Charles Dickens
Recent Examples on the Web The pub — situated next to the Wrexham Association Football Club's stadium, Racecourse Ground — is the oldest public house at any sports stadium in the world. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Their style, the main calling card, was loosely based on English public houses from the late Middle Ages through early modern eras. David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2023 Jonathan Nichols first hung the white horse outside — a universal sign of a public house — and gave the tavern its name. Carlos R. Muñoz, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023 Pub is an abbreviation of public house—a meeting place for all comers (children and dogs are admitted, too). Oliver Smith, Outside Online, 15 Jan. 2020 The vibe crisscrosses eras and social circles — a public house with a private club clientele, the Tam O’Shanter booked out by the Soho House crowd — in an only-in-L.A. blur of scenery. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2022 In many cases, the local pub or eatery is still truly a public house, a pillar of the community. Jon Taffer, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2020 This was a public house in the truest sense—the kind of establishment that is increasingly rare in American life. Martin Fritz Huber, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2020 Much like Captain Kidd and Johanna, the quartet moves from place to place, navigating saloons, hotels, dance halls, public houses and other places trying to string together a meager wage. New York Times, 14 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public house.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of public house was in 1658

Dictionary Entries Near public house

Cite this Entry

“Public house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20house. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

public house

noun
1
: inn, hotel
2
chiefly British : a licensed saloon or bar

More from Merriam-Webster on public house

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