watering hole
16
3.4
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtərɪŋ hoʊl/
- Informal
:
bar
- The new watering hole in town has a great selection of craft beers and a lively atmosphere.
Examples
-
She's run this watering hole for a thousand years.
-
After a long week, we decided to meet at our favorite watering hole for a few drinks and some laughs.
-
If you could find us a watering hole, now I would be very happy.
-
Let's find the watering hole, shall we?
-
It's the only decent watering hole in the area.
-
Reporters who get together at the local watering hole after work trade war stories about such things as a matter of course.
Academic text (2001) -
No tourists, this watering hole's for the locals.
Fiction book (1999) -
You simply drive to the closest watering hole, grab a beer with a friend, and bam, you're there!
Blog text (25) -
From there, the action moved indoors, split evenly among the various watering holes on the strip.
Fiction book (2000) -
Mullen's is the après-work watering hole for the upwardly mobile.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A place where people buy and drink alcoholic drinks
835
1.2
A place with music and dancing where people go at night
314
5.1
An informal place like a bar or club
172
1.6
A place open late at night with music and dancing where people buy drinks
155
1.0
A place like a bar where people drink, eat, and talk
111
3.5
A place where people drink alcoholic drinks and often eat, like a bar
75
5.8
A place where people drink alcohol and talk
45
3.6
A place people often go to spend time with friends
14
4.0
A room where people drink alcohol at a counter
8
2.3
A place where people meet regularly to talk and spend time
3
3.3
A bar in a hotel or restaurant that serves mixed drinks in a relaxed, stylish place
3
2.1
An outdoor area next to a pub where people sit to drink beer
2
3.1
A large place where people drink beer and meet to talk and enjoy music
2
5.6
A room in a brewery or bar where people buy and drink beer at the counter
1
2.5
A place where people meet regularly to talk and spend time together
1
8.1
A pub or bar where people go to drink
1
8.8
A cheap bar where people drink and are often rowdy
1
3.4
A bar where local people meet to drink and talk
1
8.1
A pub that serves many beers and simple meals
A relaxed bar or pub where people meet to drink alcohol
A bar or pub that people visit often and like
A cheap bar that sells alcohol where people go to drink and talk
A German bar where people drink beer, eat simple food, and talk
How Lively
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal parts 'watering' (related to water) and 'hole' (a place or cavity) suggest a place where animals or people go to drink or gather, so there is a clear metaphorical link to a gathering place. However, the cybersecurity sense (a compromised website used to target a group) is a specialized, metaphorical extension of that gathering-place meaning and is not fully predictable for a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words without cultural or technical exposure.
Etymology
Watering hole comes from the image of animals gathering at a place to drink water. People borrowed that picture for busy bars and pubs where people meet, so it now means 'an informal place to drink or socialize'.