public house

American

noun

British. a tavern.
an inn or hostelry.

public house British

noun

the formal name for pub
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

Etymology

Origin of public house

First recorded in 1565–75

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.

"It will invest a significant sum of money, at least £410,000 into fitting out the public house," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2025

“This is an old-school public house, I love that term, public house,” Donald said.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2020

A record of customers will be kept, challenging the ethos of a public house open to all without membership or registration.

From Reuters • Jul. 2, 2020

The Grade II* Haunch of Venison in the centre of Salisbury, Wiltshire, began as a church house in the 1400s before becoming a public house.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2020

“I talked it over with a few members of the council and we decided that it would be quite all right for you to use the public house if you would care to.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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