Meaning & use
a saloon
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Meanings
nouncountableBritish
a car with a fixed roof, four doors, and a separate area at the back for luggage
Grammar: Countable; in British English, this is the normal word for what Americans call a sedan.
Patterns
- a saloon car
- drive a saloon
They rented a saloon car for the family trip.
He prefers a saloon to a hatchback because it has more trunk space.
nouncountableAmericanold-fashioned
a bar or tavern, especially one in the American Old West
Grammar: Countable; often used in historical or cinematic contexts.
Patterns
- a Western saloon
- in a saloon
The cowboy walked into the saloon and ordered a drink.
In old Western movies, the saloon is where the trouble starts.
nouncountableold-fashioned
a comfortable sitting room or lounge on a ship or in a hotel
Grammar: Countable; this sense is less common and mostly found in older texts or on ships.
Patterns
- the first-class saloon
- the ship's saloon
Passengers gathered in the saloon for afternoon tea.
The ship's saloon was decorated with dark wood and brass.
Word forms
| plural | saloons |
|---|
Common combinations
- a saloon car
- The taxi was a black saloon car.
- a Western saloon
- The film set included a dusty Western saloon.
- saloon bar
- In British pubs, the saloon bar is usually quieter and more comfortable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sedan
- Sedan is the American word for the same type of car; use sedan in American English and saloon in British English.
- bar
- Bar is the general word for a place that serves drinks; saloon often suggests an old-fashioned or Western setting.
- tavern
- Tavern is a somewhat old-fashioned word for a place that serves drinks and sometimes food; saloon is more specific to the American West.
Word family
- saloonkeeper noun
- a person who owns or manages a saloon
Commonly confused: a saloon or salon?
a saloon vs salon
A salon is a place for hairdressing, beauty treatments, or intellectual gatherings; a saloon is a car or a bar. The spelling difference is one letter.
Practice
In British English, which sentence uses 'saloon' correctly?
Choose one answer.
In British English, a saloon is a type of car, so 'saloon car' is correct. Option 2 confuses it with 'salon' (hairdresser), option 3 uses it as a drink, and option 4 is grammatical but less clear without 'car'—though it could be correct, option 1 is the standard collocation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a saloon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.