pub
noun
a bar or tavern.
pub
1 American
[puhb]
/ pʌb /
noun
-
pubs
plural
pub.
2
American
abbreviation
-
public.
-
publication.
-
published.
-
publisher.
-
publishing.
pub.
1
British
abbreviation
-
public
-
publication
-
published
-
publisher
-
publishing
pub
2
British
/ pʌb /
noun
-
Formal name: public house. a building with a bar and one or more public rooms licensed for the sale and consumption of alcoholic drink, often also providing light meals
-
a hotel
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pub
First recorded in 1855–60; short for public house
Explanation
A pub is a bar or tavern that serves food and often acts as a community gathering place. People visit pubs to eat lunch, to drink beer, or to play darts with their friends. Pub is a shortened form of public house that dates from 1859. In the sixteenth century, a public house was first "any building open to the public," and then "an inn that sells food and drink." Today, the word pub is more or less synonymous with tavern — both are primarily places to drink beer, wine, or spirits, though a pub (especially in Great Britain) is seen as vital to its neighborhood, a cozy place to gather.
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:
The British Beer and Pub Association and UKHospitality have also campaigned against pub closures, with both largely blaming tax rises and other costs.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
A number of residents were affected by the blast and were offered support, with the local pub, The Crooked Billet, becoming a hub for people who had been forced from their homes.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
On a Saturday, I couldn't really ask my partner to look after our two children just so I can go to the pub with 10 of my mates.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Suzanne Badger who works as the front of house manager at the Pickled Plum pub in Pershore, said people were "walking in off the street, melting".
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Nosa, who had left right after graduation, picked him up at the tube station and drove him to a pub where other friends soon gathered.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
He recalls coming to the pub when he and his wife “were courting. I’ve since brought my children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren into the pub. It’s a family tradition for us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
"We don't believe customers should have to hand over excessive personal information just to grab a pint at the pub. They're going for a drink, not applying for a mortgage."
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2021
“That was a pub. That was a pub. That was a pub.”
From Washington Post ● Jun. 15, 2018
He said, "Oh, I'll go down to the pub. I'll read the paper."
From The Verge ● Oct. 14, 2015
“That was the name of my uncle’s pub. My dad’s brother was an innkeeper too, and he had a pub at Richmond and I liked the name.”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
"Now, when someone wins they'll go around the festival site or some of the local pubs with the tarpaulin from the ham, and collect donations for good causes."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Last month Burnham said pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England would be given a 20% cut to business rates from April, calling it a "first step" to help the industry.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
For years, Richmond was known as one of London’s most charming residential enclaves—a peaceful riverside neighborhood filled with independent shops, cozy pubs, and leafy parks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Lady Greyhounds confront doubts about their talent in pubs, from the stands and in the media.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Go on, go back down and try all the pubs around the railway station and try Naughton’s fish and chip shop.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
