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What is "public house"

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
public house
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Others are in the the Eagle and Child public house in the centre of Oxford.
▪ There was a public house named the Black Bull, a butcher's, saddler's and a shoemaker's.
▪ We have established, have we not, that the public house is not worthy of a celebration dinner.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Public house

Public \Pub"lic\, a. [L. publicus, poblicus, fr. populus people: cf. F. public. See People.]

  1. Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; -- opposed to private; as, the public treasury.

    To the public good Private respects must yield.
    --Milton.

    He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet.
    --D. Webster.

  2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common; notorious; as, public report; public scandal.

    Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
    --Matt. i. 19.

  3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public house. ``The public street.'' --Shak. public act or public statute (Law), an act or statute affecting matters of public concern. Of such statutes the courts take judicial notice. Public credit. See under Credit. Public funds. See Fund, 3. Public house, an inn, or house of entertainment. Public law.

    1. See International law, under International.

    2. A public act or statute.

      Public nuisance. (Law) See under Nuisance.

      Public orator. (Eng. Universities) See Orator, 3.

      Public stores, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.

      Public works, all fixed works built by civil engineers for public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed at the public cost.

Wiktionary
public house

n. (context chiefly British English) An establishment licensed to sell alcoholic beverages to be consumed on or off the premises; they often provide meals and sometimes accommodation.

WordNet
public house

n. tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals [syn: pub, saloon, pothouse, gin mill, taphouse]

Usage examples of "public house".

They passed the Ten Bells, a public house strategically poised on the corner of roaring Commercial Street and Fournier, within sight of the gleaming white spire of Christchurch, Spitalfields.

Several of the loafing roustabouts were buying roasted chestnuts from a poorly dressed woman who'd stationed herself outside the roisterous public house.

And yet there is no doubt that if Mr Herbert Parstone could have foreseen the accident he would have bought that particular public house for the simple pleasure of closing it down lest any such coincidence should happen.