Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In India, an inn or tavern; specifically, in the Presidency towns, a boarding-house or house of entertainment for seamen.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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It was noted as being the best "_punch-house_" in Boston.
The Bay State Monthly — Volume 2, No. 2, November, 1884 Various
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On leaving the Admiralty-house, the party were directed to a place little better than a booth, and denominated by the natives a punch-house, a name given to all low taverns in India, but which was dignified with the name of "The Albion Hotel."
The Wreck on the Andamans Joseph Darvall
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After the great earthquake at Jamaica in 1691, Mullins built himself a house at Kingston and ran it as a punch-house -- often a very profitable business when the buccaneers returned to Port Royal with good plunder.
The Pirates' Who's Who Giving Particulars Of The Lives and Deaths Of The Pirates And Buccaneers Philip Gosse 1919
peekaboo78 commented on the word punch-house
Punch-House! I'm revoking your charter!
January 29, 2026