shebeen

Definition

An unlicensed drinking establishment, especially in Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa.

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish síbín.

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."