roadhouse

noun

road·​house ˈrōd-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce roadhouse (audio)
: an inn or tavern usually outside city limits providing liquor and usually meals, dancing, and often gambling

Examples of roadhouse in a Sentence

stopped at a roadhouse for some drinks and a little line dancing
Recent Examples on the Web The scene in the roadhouse bar, the White Deltas surrounded by big, scary Black men? Ty Burr, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023 Julia, then known as Billie, became acclimated to Alaskan life, serving, at age 11, whiskey in the roadhouse to gold miners; exploring the tundra and observing reindeer; and encountering a parade of rough characters, many of them miners. Richard Sandomir, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023 The nearest roadhouse lay along the Yentna River, near Lake Creek, an area now dotted with lodges. David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023 Kenney was bound, tossed into a boat, and hauled away, leaving his roadhouse and belongings behind. David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023 Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, Hillsboro Cornelius Pass Roadhouse really is a roadhouse out on Cornelius Pass, with a restaurant and a little bar. oregonlive, 29 June 2023 The festival is a series of events organized by Outlaw Nation, an online streaming radio service that plays Southern rock, outlaw country, bluegrass, red dirt, and roadhouse blues. Brittanie Shey, Chron, 30 Mar. 2023 In the show, Cruise — who died on Thursday at 65 — played an enigmatic roadhouse singer with a voice both small and big, stylish and spacey, intimate and distant, as if she’d been ousted from a Brill Building girl-group and tasked with imitating a children’s choir on the moon. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 June 2022 Although the Boonville Hotel bills itself as a roadhouse, Hoffman’s presence has elevated the restaurant. Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roadhouse.' 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

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of roadhouse was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near roadhouse

Cite this Entry

“Roadhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roadhouse. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

roadhouse

noun
road·​house -ˌhau̇s How to pronounce roadhouse (audio)
: a bar or inn usually outside city limits
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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