shebeen
/ʃɪˈbiːn/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.60 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An unlicensed drinking establishment, especially in Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa.
Example Sentences
- "‘Well, let's line,’ he said to Ben. ‘We can fill up at a shebeen.’"
- "On almost every corner there were shebeens, illegal saloons that were shacks where home-brewed beer was served."
- "[…]while across Ladbroke Grove, on the mainly black side, the Rio cafe into which I self-consciously tiptoed occasionally became the Mangrove restaurant, and All Saints Road the shebeen and dope-dealing capital of London, under the hammer of the police."
- "Every night and day there were bombs and gunshots and riots and roundups, and it didn't take long to gain access to the bars and shebeens where these things were discussed with a certain knowingness."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ʃɪˈbiːn/