tavern

noun

tav·​ern ˈta-vərn How to pronounce tavern (audio)
1
: an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold to be drunk on the premises
2
: inn

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 According to a criminal complaint, Routt was inside the tavern for about 30 minutes playing a video gaming machine before pulling out a gun and ordering the married couple and third person not to move. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024 The tavern is open daily at 1401 First St. in Napa; normanrosetavern.com. Ben Davidson, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 Officers found evidence of a shooting outside the tavern, but did not find a victim or the shooter. Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024 Local taverns, many of them owned and operated by women, offered home brews. Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024 The game day menu includes the tavern's popular burgers and chicken wings. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 12 Jan. 2024 Epicureans have new restaurants to try, including taverns, lakeside venues, cafés, and pool bars featuring cuisines that highlight Southern dishes, Italian specialties, seafood and steaks, and pub fare, among others. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 The string lights were glowing, the hockey game was on and an excellent Guinness pour available on a recent Monday night at this tavern, owned by the same people behind Mountain View’s St. Stephen’s Green. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The far East Valley saw a particularly large restaurant boom, with eight new eateries opening their doors in Gilbert and Queen Creek, including an American-style tavern, a boba tea shop and the expansion of a beloved family barbecue restaurant. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tavern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tavern was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tavern

Cite this Entry

“Tavern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tavern. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tavern

noun
tav·​ern ˈtav-ərn How to pronounce tavern (audio)
1
: an establishment where alcoholic liquors are sold to be drunk on the premises
2
: inn

More from Merriam-Webster on tavern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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