saloon Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
    taproom; barroom; bar; ginmill.
    • he drowned his sorrows in whiskey at the bar
  2. noun tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals
    taphouse; public house; pub; pothouse; gin mill.
  3. noun a car that is closed and that has front and rear seats and two or four doors
    sedan.

WordNet

Sa*loon" noun
Etymology
F. salon (cf. It. salone), fr. F. salle a large room, a hall, of German or Dutch origin; cf. OHG. sal house, hall, G. saal; akin to AS. sæl, sele, D. zaal, Icel. salr, Goth. saljan to dwell, and probably to L. solum ground. Cf. Sole of the foot, Soil ground, earth.
Definitions
  1. A spacious and elegant apartment for the reception of company or for works of art; a hall of reception, esp. a hall for public entertainments or amusements; a large room or parlor; as, the saloon of a steamboat.
    The gilden saloons in which the first magnates of the realm . . . gave banquets and balls. Macaulay.
  2. Popularly, a public room for specific uses; esp., a barroom or grogshop; as, a drinking saloon; an eating saloon; a dancing saloon.
    We hear of no hells, or low music halls, or low dancing saloons [at Athens.] J. P. Mahaffy.

Webster 1913