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Synonyms

pub

1 American  
[puhb] / pʌb /

noun

  1. a bar or tavern.

pub. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. public.

  2. publication.

  3. published.

  4. publisher.

  5. publishing.

pub. 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. public

  2. publication

  3. published

  4. publisher

  5. publishing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pub 2 British  
/ pʌb /

noun

  1. 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

  2. a hotel

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. informal (intr) to visit a pub or pubs (esp in the phrase go pubbing )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pub

First recorded in 1855–60; short for public house

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.

"There's not a lot going on anymore unless you want a pub or a curry," adds Hancock.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Charlotte's dad, Shane, a Port Vale season ticket holder, ran the pub up until he passed away in 2022.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Alex McCarthy, a university student who works part-time in a pub, says he is feeling "very, very happy" about the rise.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

"You bond over video games, it's the same thing as meeting someone in real life at the pub or anything like that."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

As I reach the bottom, the soft, worn wood gives way to the cool stone floors of the pub.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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.