public house

See synonyms for public house on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. British. a tavern.

  2. an inn or hostelry.

Origin of public house

1
First recorded in 1565–75

Words Nearby public house

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use public house in a sentence

  • At length they came to a public-house called the Coach and Horses, a little way beyond which another road appeared to turn off.

  • In the first place, one element of public-house talk—the overt or sly indecency—is left out.

    The Chequers | James Runciman
  • In an actual public-house parlour the man who can bring in a totally new tale of a dirty nature is the hero of the evening.

    The Chequers | James Runciman
  • In tracing the natural history of a public-house I have found the respectable dullards the most revolting of my subjects.

    The Chequers | James Runciman
  • That night Mr. Parsons visited a public house, paid for a glass of ale, and consulted the directory.

British Dictionary definitions for public house

public house

noun
  1. British the formal name for pub

  2. US and Canadian an inn, tavern, or small 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