Shebeens

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, often illegally and without a license
2. A social venue in certain communities where people gather to drink and socialize, sometimes seen as part of cultural traditions
3. A place, typically informal and unregulated, where drinks are served, commonly associated with local customs and community interaction

Etymology: Shebeens is the plural of "shebeen", a word borrowed from Irish "síbín", meaning a illicit tavern or unlicensed drinking house. The Irish term is a diminutive formed from "síb", a word for a cup or drink, though the exact sense of that root is something to treat with caution. The plural form simply counts multiple such establishments, and the word has long been used for informal, unlicensed bars where drink was sold without a licence, often in defiance of restrictive liquor laws. Its journey from Ireland into wider English reflects how the practice itself travelled with migrants and was taken up in other communities.