inn

Everyday

1. An inn is a small hotel or pub, often in the countryside or an old building, where travellers can eat, drink and stay the night. tree →
2. (Bible) In the Christmas story, there was no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn in Bethlehem, so Jesus was born where animals were kept. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and history lessons, travellers on horseback stopped at inns; in nativity plays a child plays the innkeeper. In everyday life many British pubs are called «The Something Inn». Phrases: «stay at an inn», «there was no room at the inn», «innkeeper», «roadside inn».

Examples

• We had lunch at an old inn in the village. tree →
• There was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph. tree →
• In the nativity play, I was the innkeeper. tree →
• The tired travellers stopped at an inn for the night. tree →
• The Good Samaritan took the hurt man to an inn. tree →
• The Red Lion Inn has a big fireplace. tree →
• The inn had rooms upstairs and a bar below. tree →
• There was an inn by the roadside. tree →

Note

Countable: inns. Homophone: «in» (preposition) sounds the same. Old-fashioned word; today «hotel», «pub» or «B&B» are common.