watering hole

noun

1

: water hole sense 1

2

: a place where people gather socially

especially : watering place sense 3

Synonyms

• bar
• barroom
• café
• cafe
• cantina [Southwest]
• dramshop
• gin mill
• grogshop [chiefly British]
• pub
• public house [chiefly British]
• saloon
• taproom
• tavern
• watering place

Examples of watering hole in a Sentence

supposedly, that Broadway hangout was the favorite watering hole for 1940s celebrities

Recent Examples on the Web

However, the real draw of this hotel is the popular Cave Bar, a choice watering hole and hangout spot for travelers passing through the area. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2024

The watering hole, which is attached to Beer Bar, used to be known as a blue-collar dive bar. —Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024

Off the windswept western coast of France, around two and a half hours by car north of Bordeaux, the Île de Ré is often invoked as Europe’s answer to Martha’s Vineyard: outdoorsy, a little la-di-dah, and a watering hole for city-dwellers on holiday, particularly during the summer. —Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024

Since the first film shot in Hollywood in 1910, the ghosts of film and television stars like Marilyn Monroe are said to wander Hollywood’s homes, streets and watering holes. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1