saloon

[ suh-loon ]

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.

saloon

/ səˈluːn /

noun

1. See lounge
   Also calledsaloon 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. a closed two-door or four-door car with four to six seats US, Canadian, and NZ namesedan
6. See salon
   an obsolete word for salon

Word History and Origins

Origin of saloon¹

First recorded in 1720–30; variant of salon

Word History and Origins

Origin of saloon¹

C18: from French salon

Example Sentences

Yes, he did manage to veto a tripling of saloon license fees.

From Voice of San Diego

Sold primarily at saloons and all-night lunch carts that catered to factory shift workers, the dish, at least in the imagination of polite society, seemed to have “something of the night” about it.

From Washington Post

After the story ran, a reader named Thomas Pieragostini emailed me a link to a series of ads that appeared in the Shiner Gazette in Texas in the spring of 1894 that advertised “hamburger steak sandwiches” being served at a local saloon.

From Washington Post

She loved wild women, hosted saloons for 60 years and founded a women’s academy.

From Ozy

The adobe-walled Starlight Theatre restaurant and saloon in the nearby ghost town of Terlingua fits the bill, too.

From Outside Online

The Horse You Came in On Saloon, Baltimore Horse-themed bars must be bad luck for famous authors.

From The Daily Beast

Along this sky-high route, nearly every 19th-century saloon or historic hotel has a ghost story to tell.

From The Daily Beast

The former Secretary of Culture, David Mellor, used to say that they were drinking in “the last chance saloon.”

From The Daily Beast

Look, this is a late-night saloon and occasionally it's necessary to assert myself when things get a little out of hand.

From The Daily Beast

When that happened, it was like Frank Sinatra telling a saloon singer he was good.

From The Daily Beast

There was a moment's pause, and Doa Inez returned into the saloon, which was now beginning rapidly to fill.

From Project Gutenberg

The cheerful sound of music came from the deck of a big saloon steamer, bearing its crowd of noisy tourists.

From Project Gutenberg

In ordinary times fares ranged from ₱50 saloon accommodation to ₱8 a deck passage.

From Project Gutenberg

He apologized for interrupting their tête-à-tête, but said he had no choice, as the saloon was completely full.

From Project Gutenberg

Longcluse had made up his mind promptly on the night of the billiard-match played in the Saloon Tavern.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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