[tav-ern] 
| 1. | a place where liquors are sold to be consumed on the premises. |
| 2. | a public house for travelers and others; inn. |
| tav·ern (tāv'ərn) n.
[Middle English taverne, from Old French, from Latin taberna, hut, tavern, probably from *traberna, from trabs, trab-, beam; see trave.] |
tavern
an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises. Tavern keeping has paralleled the growth of trade, travel, and industry throughout history and virtually worldwide. The Code of Hammurabi of ancient Babylonia (c. 1750 BC) provided that the death penalty could be imposed upon a proprietor for diluting beer. In ancient Greece the lesche, which was primarily a local club, served meals to strangers as well as to its local members. By the 5th century BC there were sumptuous Greek establishments called phatnai that served a local and transient clientele of traders, envoys, and government officials.
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