Barkeeps

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who serve alcoholic beverages in a bar or pub
2. Personnel responsible for managing drink orders and the overall atmosphere of such establishments
3. Workers engaging with patrons to provide drinks and ensure a pleasant experience in social settings

Etymology: "Barkeeps" is simply the plural of "barkeep," so its story is the story of the singular form. A barkeep is a person who keeps a bar, meaning the counter or serving area where drinks are poured, and the word is a clipping of "barkeeper," shortened by dropping the final syllable. The older, fuller form, "barkeeper," is built from "bar" and "keeper," a person who keeps or looks after something, a pattern that also gives us words like "shopkeeper" and "innkeeper." The word "bar" itself traces back to a barrier: a rail or bar of wood or metal that separated one area from another. Over time, the barrier that kept customers away from the spirits, and the staff behind it, came to name the whole serving space, and then the establishment. The "keeper" was the person who stood behind that barrier and oversaw the drinks.

Synonyms: bartenders, barmaids, servers