tavern

noun

tav·​ern ˈta-vərn 

1

: an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold to be drunk on the premises

2

: inn

Synonyms of tavern

• pub
• saloon
• bar

Examples of tavern in a Sentence

a seedy section of the city's waterfront that was rife with cheap taverns, tattoo parlors, and run-down flophouses

a colonial-era tavern that has been serving weary travelers for two and a half centuries

Recent Examples on the Web

Toast to history at Ye Olde Trail Tavern Restaurant, Ohio’s oldest tavern, built in 1827. —Sarah Miller, Midwest Living, 29 Apr. 2026

Keep in mind that despite the significance of the date of July 4, 1776, royalists and republicans had been arguing in print, pamphlets, taverns and on town greens long before 1776. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026

Over the past two centuries, the structure has served as a tavern, a general store, an ice cream parlor, and a gas station. —Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026

Others say that the two bits contributed were to help Poinsett himself keep the lights on (so to speak, of course, this would've been a couple hundred years pre-electricity) in his own tavern. —Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English taverne, from Anglo-French, from Latin taberna hut, shop

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tavern

• cavern

Kids Definition

tavern

noun

tav·​ern ˈtav-ərn 

1

: an establishment where alcoholic liquors are sold to be drunk on the premises

2

: inn