innkeeper
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of innkeeper
Explanation
An innkeeper is someone who owns or manages an inn. When you arrive at an inn, the innkeeper might be the person who checks you in and gives you a key to your room (and maybe a chocolate on your pillow). The earliest innkeepers ran inns in Europe during medieval times. These inns provided lodging, food, and a place for travelers to leave their horses, and an innkeeper managed all of these details. Today in the UK, some pubs call themselves inns, so you might find an innkeeper serving pints there, while in the US an inn is almost always a more charming version of a motel, run by an innkeeper.
Vocabulary lists containing innkeeper
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Often have I recalled the scene in John Buchan’s spy thriller “The 39 Steps” when the protagonist, Richard Hannay, tells his true but unlikely story to an innkeeper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
“It’s pretty usual for us in Humboldt County to get earthquakes,” said Chappelle, who is the innkeeper of Hydrangea Inn, which was built by her great-aunt in the 1930s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2024
The introverted Ms. Grade acknowledged that she was a most unlikely innkeeper.
From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2024
Shelley Hunter, an innkeeper from Quincy, Calif., says airlines should be able to exclude kids from some flights.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2023
The innkeeper, framed by the light of the inn, says, "Calm yourself! They're inside! I brought 'em in for safekeeping."
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
The innkeepers are very friendly and anxious to help you explore the island.
From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2023
A couple in upstate New York became impromptu innkeepers for South Korean tourists over the weekend after the visitors became stranded in an intense blizzard.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 26, 2022
As part of the job, the innkeepers will receive a healthcare plan and two weeks of vacation, with room and board included.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2022
So here’s a tip that benefits travelers, innkeepers and even travel columnists: Use the O.T.A.s to do your research, but then book directly with the travel provider.
From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2022
“Kote, sir,” Kote replied in an indulgent tone that mothers use on children and innkeepers use on drunks.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
