barroom

barroom — noun

1. an indoor space, usually inside a hotel, restaurant, or similar place, where peo

1.nounC1
Definition

an indoor space, usually inside a hotel, restaurant, or similar place, where people sit or stand and pay for beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks at a long counter.

Example

Nia pushed open the swinging doors of a smoky barroom and ordered a cold beer at the counter.

typical scene: ordering a drink at the counter

The hotel's quiet barroom served whiskey, gin, and cold beer until two in the morning.

typical drinks listed: whiskey, gin, beer

Common collocations
  • smoky barroom
  • crowded barroom
  • barroom brawl
  • barroom talk
  • barroom floor
Synonyms
  • bar

    the most common everyday word; can mean either the counter or the whole place

  • pub

    British English; usually a friendly neighbourhood place that also serves food

  • tavern

    old-fashioned or literary; suggests a small, traditional drinking place

  • saloon

    American, historical; strongly associated with the Old West

Grammar Patterns

a barroom in [place]

Usage Note

Mainly American English; British speakers usually say 'bar' or 'pub' instead. Often appears as a modifier in compounds such as 'barroom brawl', 'barroom talk', or 'barroom philosopher'.

Common Mistakes

I went to a barroom for dinner.
I went to a bar / pub for dinner.
a barroom is mainly the drinking area itself, and the word sounds dated or American outside that context.
We sat in the barroom of the train.
We sat in the bar car of the train.
'barroom' refers to a fixed room in a building, not a section of a vehicle.

Word family

  • bar
    nounA1
  • bartender
    nounB1
  • barmaid
    nounB2
  • barkeeper
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name a place where people buy alcoholic drinks, but the feel of each is quite different. 'Bar' is the everyday, neutral word and works in almost any setting, from a hotel lobby to a city street. 'Barroom' is mainly American and points to the actual drinking room rather than the whole business; it often turns up in fixed phrases like 'barroom brawl' or 'barroom talk'. 'Pub' is British and friendly, suggesting a neighbourhood place that also serves meals. 'Tavern' sounds older and more literary, while 'saloon' carries strong Old West echoes. Compare: 'Let's grab a drink at the bar after work' (everyday) versus 'A fight broke out in the smoky barroom' (cinematic, slightly dated).

bar ↗pub ↗tavernsaloon

Common collocations

Nouns

  • barroom brawl
  • barroom fight
  • barroom floor
  • barroom talk
  • barroom philosopher

Phrases

  • a smoky barroom
  • a crowded barroom
  • the hotel barroom

Prepositions

  • in a barroom
  • into the barroom
  • at the barroom

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishAmerican English

Formed in American English in the early 1800s by joining 'bar' (the long counter where drinks are served) with 'room'. The word 'bar' itself comes from Old French 'barre', meaning a long piece of wood, because early drinking places kept a wooden rail between the customers and the bottles. 'Barroom' became popular in the United States as drinking places spread westward in the nineteenth century.