barman

IPA/ˈbɑːmən/
KK[bˈɑrmən]IPA/ˈbɑːrmən/

barman — noun

  • barmansingular
  • barmenplural

1. a male worker behind a bar who prepares drinks and gives them to customers

1.nounB1
Definition

a male worker behind a bar who prepares drinks and gives them to customers

Example

The hotel barman sliced lemons before the evening guests arrived.

the hotel barman

A tired couple asked the barman for coffee after midnight.

ask the barman for a drink

Common collocations
  • hotel barman
  • pub barman
  • new barman
  • work as a barman
  • ask the barman for a drink
Synonyms
  • bartender

    the usual modern term, especially in American English, and gender-neutral

  • server

    broader and not limited to someone working behind a bar

  • mixologist

    more specialized and often used for someone skilled at making cocktails

Grammar Patterns

work as a barman

ask the barman for a drink

the hotel barman

Usage Note

Mostly British and usually countable. In American English, bartender is much more common, and barman clearly refers to a male worker.

Common Mistakes

My cousin is a barman in Chicago.
My cousin is a bartender in Chicago.
bartender is the usual American English word.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For this sense, barman is a British word for a man who serves drinks in a bar or pub. Bartender is more common in American English and is also gender-neutral, so it often fits better in modern general use. Barmaid is the matching word for a woman, but it can sound old-fashioned in some contexts. Server is much broader: a server may bring food or drinks in many places, not only from behind a bar. If Tom works in a London pub, barman sounds natural. If Mia mixes drinks in New York, bartender is usually the better choice.

barman ↗bartender ↗barmaidserver ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hotel barman
  • pub barman

Phrases

  • work as a barman
  • the new barman

Prepositions

  • ask the barman for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Barman is an English compound built from bar and man. The bar part refers to the counter or place where drinks are served, and that word entered English through French from an older word meaning a barrier. Barman later became the name for a male worker who serves drinks there.