saloon

American  

[suh-loon] / səˈlun /

noun

1. a place for the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks.

2. a room or place for general use for a specific purpose.

   a dining saloon on a ship.

3. a large cabin for the common use of passengers on a passenger vessel.

4. British.

   1. (in a tavern or pub) a section of a bar or barroom separated from the public bar and often having more comfortable furnishings and a quieter atmosphere.

   2. saloon car.

5. a drawing room or reception room.

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saloon British  

/ səˈluːn /

noun

1. Also called: saloon bar.  another word for lounge

2. a large public room on a passenger ship

3. any large public room used for a specific purpose

   a dancing saloon

4. a place where alcoholic drink is sold and consumed

5. US, Canadian, and NZ name: sedan.  a closed two-door or four-door car with four to six seats

6. an obsolete word for salon

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Etymology

Origin of saloon

First recorded in 1720–30; variant of salon

Explanation

A saloon is an old-fashioned name for a bar or a tavern. Suggest meeting at the local saloon after work and your friends might give you a funny look, but they'll know what you mean. A saloon is a place to sit drink a beer, though it's much more common these days to call it a bar or a pub. In the Old West, saloons played a huge role, providing refreshment to prospectors, trappers, and cowboys. The word comes from the French salon, and it originally had the same meaning, "living room." Later, saloon meant "hall," especially one on a boat or a train. In 1800's America, it came to mean "public house or bar."

Example Sentences

At times, traffic nearly stood still on the streets, where influencers in Kemo Sabe hats mixed with bundled-up film industry veterans outside of iconic locales such as the Egyptian Theatre and No Name Saloon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

The paintings being restored include the Great Hall ceiling work by Sir James Thornhill, from 1716, and Louis Laguerre's paintings of the Battle of Blenheim located in the Saloon.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

The sun had just begun its descent when the Mane Street Band took the stage for their weekly Honky Tonk Sunday set at Pioneertown’s Red Dog Saloon.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025

The Red Dog Saloon, Más o Menos and the ad hoc gay bar Tiny Pony Tavern have found their footing for more ambitious desert nightlife.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

Saloon keepers cashed paychecks, supplied a mailing address for immigrants who had not yet found a permanent home, and, in many places, provided a place to sleep for five dollars a night.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• barroom
• hangout
• nightclub
• pub
• speakeasy
• tavern
• watering hole