BYO

British

noun

an unlicensed restaurant at which diners may drink their own wine, etc

"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 BYO

C20: from the phrase bring your own

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.

This time, though, trading down calls for BYO sauce to pick things back up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Sun Wah BBQ, a Hong Kong-style barbecue restaurant in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, has been hosting an annual "BYO Turkey" roasting event for years.

From Salon • Nov. 18, 2022

Apple’s health approach uses the Watch first, then connects services to any fitness equipment its customers prefer to use, not high-priced workout-specific hardware that can be replaced by a cheaper bike and BYO tablet.

From The Verge • Feb. 4, 2022

I still socialized, still went out for “drinks,” still traveled for business and dined with my parents, but I was BYO LaCroix and zero-proof cocktails all month long, citing my Whole30-esque commitment.

From Washington Post • Dec. 29, 2021

Stores such as BYO Long Beach and online sites like Wild Minimalist sell everything from reusable silicon menstrual cups to silk dental floss.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023