pub
noun /pʌb/
/pʌb/
(also formal public house)
(both British English)- a building where people go to drink and meet their friends. Pubs serve alcoholic and other drinks, and often also food.
enlarge image- We're all going to the pub after work.
- (informal) They've gone down the pub for a drink.
- in a pub They spent the whole evening in the pub.
- at a pub He is one of the regulars at the pub.
- I got home from the pub just after 11.
- a pub lunch
- the landlord of the local pub
- The Elm Tree will remain a traditional village pub.
- We are holding a pub quiz in the bar on Tuesday night.
Culture pubspubsPubs are important in the social life of many people in Britain. People often go to the pub nearest their home, known as their 'local'. Pubs have their own character and atmosphere. Some attract people by playing music or running pub quizzes, others have large television screens so that people can watch sport and there are also traditional village pubs which are often very old and are the centre of village life. Some pubs have more than one bar (= a room to drink in) where drinks are sold from a counter, also called a bar. Often people in a group will take it in turns to go to the bar to buy a round (= a drink for each person in the group). Popular drinks are beer and lager, and wine and spirits. Tied houses (= pubs owned by breweries) sell beers made by the company and guest beers from other breweries, and free houses (= pubs not owned by a brewery) offer beers made by several different companies, often including real ales made using traditional methods. Pubs usually sell crisps and nuts and many do simple pub meals such as sausage and chips or a ploughman’s lunch. Others, sometimes called gastropubs, sell a wider range of food and are like restaurants. Under Britain's licensing laws alcohol can only be sold to people over 18, and children under 14 are not allowed in pubs unless there is a family room, a room without a bar, or an outside area called a beer garden. Pubs can open all day and even for 24 hours if they have a licence to do so. When closing time approaches, the barman or barmaid rings a bell and calls out ‘Last orders!’, to give customers time to order one more drink. After the bar person has called ‘Time!’ customers are allowed some drinking-up time to finish their drinks and leave. Pubs always have a name which is shown on sign outside, often with a picture on it. Many names are hundreds of years old and may have their roots in legends, such as the Green Man, some are named after kings and queens or historical figures, and others refer to things in country life, such as the The Plough or The Bull.The number of pubs in Britain has fallen a lot since the 1980s. Many people these days prefer to drink at home with friends. In large towns and cities, some pubs have been replaced by fashionable bars selling craft beer (= beer that is made in a traditional way by a small company).Extra ExamplesTopics Buildingsa2, Drinksa2- He spent all afternoon in the pub.
- It's one of those modern theme pubs.
- the atmosphere of a cosy country pub
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- excellent
- good
- favourite
- …
- go down
- go down to
- go round to
- …
- food
- lunch
- meal
- …
- at a/the pub
- in a/the pub
Word Originmid 19th cent.: abbreviation of public house.
