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:
Have you experienced this issue in a pub?
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“We come to the pub when we finish work, come for two, have a debrief of the day and then we go home,” said Hope Aris, 24, who works in Soho.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
“The minute it’s bright and sunny, people just lose their minds,” said Harriet Stansell, 35, who enjoys cycling through London and seeing the crowded pub scenes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The decision by Wetherspoons follows a stricter, longstanding policy from rival pub chain Sam Smiths which bans no phone or tech use of any kind, in addition to a ban on swearing.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The music was extremely loud inside, but then again, I had not been to a pub for many years.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
"I would have been happy with a few quid to go down the pub. I didn't expect anything."
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025
“I was in a pub. You worked without agents then — just be in the pub — somebody said, ‘Yeah, he’s an actor,’ and you got a job.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2022
“This was a pub. This 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
“I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Its narrow, winding streets are brimming with theaters, restaurants and the highest concentration of pubs in the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The company – which runs 792 pubs and bars across the UK – said that following complaints it has asked customers to switch their devices to silent or to use earphones.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 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
Visitors to the festival have been immersed in live music sessions, interactive workshops, dance classes and pop-up pubs for the past seven days.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
I search all the pubs on Parnell Street and around.
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.
