watering hole

/ˈwɑterɪŋ hoʊl/

/ˈwɔterɪŋ həʊl/

Other forms: watering holes

If you’re a zebra, a watering hole is the body of water you go to quench your thirst. If you’re a grown-up human, a watering hole is also a place that you go for a drink.

Your local watering hole is the pub or restaurant in your neighborhood where people meet for drinks, but mostly for conversation and companionship. A watering hole was originally "a source of water from which animals regularly drink," but some time in the 1960s it came to primarily mean "place (for humans) to socialize over drinks." A spa near the sea is also sometimes called a watering hole.

Definitions of watering hole

1. noun

   a natural pond or pool from which animals drink regularly
   type of:

   water hole

   a natural hole or hollow containing water
2. noun

   a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
   synonyms: bar, barroom, ginmill, saloon, taproom

   types:

   barrelhouse, honky-tonk

   a cheap drinking and dancing establishment

   cocktail lounge

   a barroom in a hotel or restaurant where cocktails are served

   sawdust saloon

   a saloon whose floor is covered with sawdust

   speakeasy

   (during Prohibition) an illegal barroom

   type of:

   room

   an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
3. noun

   a health resort near a spring or at the seaside
   synonyms: spa, watering place

   examples:

   Wiesbaden

   a city in western Germany; a spa since Roman times

   type of:

   playground, resort area, vacation spot

   an area where many people go for recreation