Main definitions of club in English

: club¹ club²

club¹

Pronunciation /kləb/

See synonyms for club

Translate club into Spanish

noun

treated as singular or plural

1An association or organization dedicated to a particular interest or activity.
‘a photography club’
- ‘the club secretary’
- ‘She began the year eating lunch alone in the library, and put aside any interest in school clubs and activities.’
- ‘To establish special interest groups and clubs to meet the needs of the young people.’
- ‘The hotel offers free swimming for children and other special discounts on club activities.’
- ‘In that first issue the Editor found space to give an account of the activities of several clubs and associations, some of which are no longer functioning.’
- ‘This course may be of particular interest to clubs and societies in the area.’
- ‘Its sub groups included clubs for activities like drama, art and crafts, and country dancing.’
- ‘Reports on the club's activities and finances were given by the secretary and treasurer.’
- ‘He also thanked the local media for the publicity it had given the club's activities over the past number of years.’
- ‘In motoring, the state automobile associations began as sporting clubs but quickly became service organisations and insurers.’
- ‘You are asked to list recreational interests and activities, membership of clubs and societies.’
- ‘If the school allows parent-organised clubs to meet on school premises, then it must do so on a neutral basis.’
- ‘A committee of young people has been set up to run the club and its activities.’
- ‘They stress the importance of club activities to the creation of a healthy, well-rounded individual.’
- ‘The secretary gave a detailed report on the activities of the club during the year.’
- ‘The club would include creative activities such as arts and crafts.’
- ‘This is part of the club's fund raising activities and in all over thirty kids will make the journey.’
- ‘If we are to move forward, we must espouse this more positive approach in all dimensions of the club's activity.’
- ‘Sadly around fifteen years ago interest waned and the club ceased to be active.’
- ‘The club have plenty of activities lined up and are looking forward to a busy year.’
- ‘College campuses are rife with activities, interesting speakers, clubs, performances, you name it.’
- ‘I had asthma, various allergies and a sharp pain in my right side, so I joined a slimming club.’
society, association, organization, institution, group
View synonyms
1. 1.1The building or facilities used by a club.
  ‘And pubs, clubs and other licensed premises were gearing up for the new era of drinking, with the launch of the new, more flexible licensing laws.’
  ‘After a gourmet meal overlooking the Adriatic, the couple can take a short walk and visit one of the many wine bars, jazz clubs or outdoor theatres the city has to offer.’
  ‘It will make it an offence to light up in a pub, bar, club or restaurant and offenders could be fined.’
  ‘It is thought that the attack took place at a club in empty premises above shops.’
  ‘Pubs,clubs and other licensed premises in most of Australia will be smoke free by July, officials announced last week.’
  ‘As a teenager, he had sat in the coffee bars and jazz clubs, and later watched rock 'n' roll and blues enter the city.’
  ‘All licensed premises such as pubs, clubs, restaurants and even cinemas and theatres will have to apply for new style licences.’
  ‘His father was in the hospitality business, being involved with restaurants, jazz clubs and a small hotel.’
  ‘Like many other people here, I would rather spend the evening at home than risk going to a bar, club or restaurant.’
  ‘There are pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, galleries and museums - facilities galore.’
  ‘I had walked into the jazz club with little or no expectations.’
  ‘He gives concerts every Friday evening in the vineyard jazz club and I have yet to get out there to witness this prodigy.’
  ‘I usually have to go into Manchester if I want to go to a jazz club, for example.’
  ‘Later we will have dinner and drinks, before dancing the night away at a jazz club.’
  ‘The jazz club where I used to hang out in the city centre was raided last week.’
  ‘Visually, the film perfectly recreates the dark and smoky atmosphere of 1950s jazz clubs.’
  ‘Tens of thousands of revellers are expected to flock into the city centre's pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants.’
  ‘Nursing homes, social clubs, pubs, filling stations and hotels across the city have all been gobbled up by developers and turned into flats.’
  ‘They were also told to stay away from any licensed premises, particularly pubs and clubs.’
  ‘My parents use to sneak me into jazz clubs when I was underage’
2. 1.2An organization or facility offering members social amenities, meals, and temporary residence.
  ‘we had dinner at his club’
  ‘It could also force change on social clubs and other organisations which insist that male members wear ties.’
  ‘The first members of these clubs were military officers, landowners, and professional and business men.’
3. 1.3A nightclub, especially one playing fashionable dance music.
  ‘He was in his early 20s when he became a DJ and began to play at clubs and night spots throughout the region.’
  ‘This collection features only the songs that created the disco scene in the clubs of early 1970s New York.’
  ‘Live music thumps out of the bars and clubs, a music scene that has produced artists as varied as The Undertones and Dana.’
  ‘They have a new night that promises to rehabilitate the northern club scene, go check it out!’
  ‘May we have a definite decision on the policy of opening hours for the clubs, bars and night spots?’
  ‘The small town businesses were closing up and letting the clubs and hot spots take over the night shift.’
  ‘However, their club scene took off and they went from strength to strength.’
  ‘A lot of the club and rave scene is decadent and I really don't like this aspect.’
  ‘For the most part I have felt welcomed by the male DJs from the club and rave scenes.’
  ‘On the club front, every night seems to have limitless beat potential this weekend.’
  ‘When the band finishes the stage is quickly cleared, and the club night starts in earnest.’
  ‘For the first time in my life however, I really want to be young again so I can be part of the club scene.’
  ‘It is also the ideal spot for teenagers who love lying out on the beach and then hitting the amusement park and the pubs and clubs at night.’
  ‘They are not an option at any decent night club (many clubs nowadays have stricter dress codes than some offices).’
  ‘Before these larger clubs came on the scene, there already was music being played here.’
  ‘One analyst of the afterhours scene thinks the clubs should be encouraged rather than attacked.’
  ‘This is a representation of the club scene; I love the gold lamé trousers!’
  ‘This music revolution seems to have had great effect on the local club scene, or has it really?’
  ‘They do like to go for it on a night out, hence our vibrant club culture.’
  ‘When the chance came up again to run one of London's big clubs, ego replaced common sense.’
  nightclub, night spot, disco, discotheque, cabaret club, supper club, bar
  View synonyms
4. 1.4treated as singular or plural An organization constituted to play games in a particular sport.
  ‘a football club’
  ‘the club captain’
  ‘Yes we do have a problem with a minority of fans at away games, but so does every football club in the country.’
  ‘He is a great player and captain for both club and country and that is why I have put him in my dream team.’
  ‘Although he has played some club matches, this will be his initial first-class game.’
  ‘The sixth game was evenly matched, with both clubs playing good defense and the pitchers throwing well.’
  ‘In recent years there have been hardly any problems at club matches or international games.’
  ‘So what if she next decides she wants her own football club, playing at the bottom of her garden.’
  ‘A lot of the players here haven't got the passion needed to play at this football club.’
  ‘He said the team was playing training matches with local clubs to help it tune up for the tournament.’
  ‘The council had so far employed six players from the football club and was considering employing some more.’
  ‘He is club captain and that's why, if he's back, it's going to be a big boost for the other players.’
  ‘He was a nice man to work for and he made me the club captain for the first time in my career.’
  ‘They have grown to become the biggest club in the Football League.’
  ‘At that same moment, the captain of the badminton club walked into the gym.’
  ‘I remember the Boxing Day matches between the two clubs and the fierce rivalry they generated.’
  ‘All this of course costs a great deal of money and it seems that our flagship clubs in whatever sport are struggling to find the sponsors locally.’
  ‘Any player who cannot play, please inform your club captain, so a reserve pair can take your place.’
  ‘I pulled him back into the football club and gave him a year's contract with a view to making it longer.’
  ‘From the outside, one would have to say he was not in control of the football club.’
  ‘A board member of a football club has managed to secure one of the most sought after signatures in the game.’
  ‘Can we blame league club managers for not motivating their players to work harder to become more skilled by practising much more?’
  team, squad, side, group, line-up
  View synonyms
5. 1.5usually with modifier A commercial organization offering subscribers special benefits.
  ‘a shopping club’
  ‘Becoming a member of an investment club would benefit her greatly.’
  ‘There is also the threat of a competition across the area from commercial health and fitness clubs.’
  ‘Car club members pay a monthly subscription and then hire by the hour for less than usual car hire rates.’
  ‘You may have a drink or a snack at the Pool Bar at pool club membership prices.’
6. 1.6with adjective or noun modifier A group of people, organizations, or nations having something in common.
  ‘in cocktail lounges all over town convenes the daily meeting of the ain't-it-awful club’
  ‘Poland was finally confirmed as one of the new club of European nations.’
  ‘How many nations need to join the nuclear club before we need a newer, nastier Deadliest Weapon In The Universe?’
  society, association, organization, institution, group
  View synonyms

intransitive verbclubs, clubbing, clubbed

[no object]informal

Go out to nightclubs.
- ‘she enjoys going clubbing in Orlando’
- ‘On the weekends she was likely to be hanging out with her friends, going clubbing at a nightclub or to a rock concert.’
- ‘I've always found going clubbing mildly ridiculous, which probably added to the novelty of last night's outing.’
- ‘Her new life, sharing digs with fellow models and going clubbing for the first time in her life, was a shock.’
- ‘She looks like someone who works in a bank and has a cool haircut for going clubbing on the weekend.’
- ‘Had they been going clubbing, he would have been more appropriately dressed.’
- ‘I'm going clubbing to put my newly found masculinity to the test.’
- ‘When I was about fifteen I started going clubbing.’
- ‘He needed to keep an eye on her, he'd decided earlier this evening, when he'd heard they were all going clubbing.’
- ‘Saturday is all set to be the best night's clubbing of the year so far.’
- ‘Sit back for a moment and imagine a glamorous night of clubbing in Paris.’
- ‘I'm staying in a hotel this time, to enjoy a Saturday night of clubbing.’
- ‘For good or ill, leisure developments, late night drinking and clubbing are part of the 21st century scene.’
- ‘One of the true treasures in life is knowing the location of a late-night spot where you can get food after a night of clubbing.’
- ‘The man himself got out of the driver's seat along with several other people, who were all dressed up for a night of clubbing.’
- ‘I highly recommend this place to start off the night of clubbing.’
- ‘I'm going to have some drinks, catch up with an old friend and do some clubbing.’
- ‘The clubbing is really great, but there are also such beautiful places, like the Great Barrier Reef.’
- ‘He said that the atmosphere was relaxed because it was a family resort, without much clubbing or loud music.’
- ‘The rest of the weekend was spent clubbing and not getting enough sleep.’
- ‘This new age approach to clubbing is paying dividends, with the club turning away hundreds of people every weekend.’

Phrases

join the club

informal

in imperative Used as an observation that someone else is in a difficult or unwelcome situation similar to one's own.
- ‘if you're confused, join the club!’
- ‘But if you're wondering what the hell I'm stammering about in the final minute, join the club!’
- ‘So you see, when the Prime Minister says he could do with some co-operation, join the club, so could we.’

in the club

British

informal

Pregnant.
- ‘The last I heard of him was that his girlfriend was in the club and they left, leaving us alone again.’

Origin

Early 17th century (as a verb): formed obscurely from club.

Main definitions of club in English

: club¹ club²

club²

Pronunciation /kləb/

See synonyms for club

Translate club into Spanish

noun

1A heavy stick with a thick end, especially one used as a weapon.
‘they beat him with a wooden club’
- ‘They also make their own canoes as well as fishing and hunting implements such as spears, clubs, blow guns, arrows, and darts.’
- ‘Many of the arms were ‘low-tech weapons’ like studded clubs, knives and spears.’
- ‘The security forces unleashed an immense barrage of teargas as well as using water cannon and clubs.’
- ‘Hundreds of hired thugs attacked a group of farmers in the village with hunting rifles, clubs and other weapons.’
- ‘In that incident, police used tear gas, clubs, heavy plastic shields and live ammunition against the protesters.’
- ‘Between four and five men, armed with weapons including a shotgun and a club, broke into the secluded home early yesterday.’
- ‘Ironically, guns have replaced knives and clubs as the weapons of choice among many criminals.’
- ‘Newspapers reported a fierce clash between troops and a group of hundreds of students armed with swords and wooden clubs.’
- ‘Other researchers think that the head injuries resulted from fights using clubs or other weapons.’
- ‘The situation escalated, with villagers attacking each other with clubs and other weapons.’
- ‘I saw an extremist mob with clubs and swords standing on the other side of the road.’
- ‘Wielding his weapon like a club he charged the remaining two guards and flung himself at them.’
- ‘Police said youth armed with machetes, knives, clubs and stones surrounded the building.’
- ‘Militants wielding clubs and sticks chased the farmer into his house, demanding he leave the property.’
- ‘Alongside bows and arrows, clubs seem to have been a favourite weapon.’
- ‘A 78-year-old woman sent a robber packing after she cracked him across the head with a wooden club.’
- ‘Thugs came to my house wielding clubs and swords.’
cudgel, truncheon, bludgeon, baton, stick, mace, staff, bat
View synonyms
1. 1.1
  short for golf club
  ‘Without some good common sense and a notion of how hard golf balls and clubs are, a golf course can be a very dangerous place.’
  ‘He was so tired after holing the winning putt and putting the clubs away that they were not brought out again until Tuesday.’
  ‘Aim at a spot an inch or two behind the ball, take an upright backswing and drop the club on that spot.’
  ‘I always use the same six clubs, working my way up from the sand wedge to the driver.’
  ‘How much can a golfer have clubs lengthened or shortened to compensate for height?’
  ‘I change my clubs quite a bit, depending on the type of golf course I'm playing.’
  ‘The key to good tempo is to keep the club speed the same during the backswing and the downswing.’
  ‘To hit it higher I widen my stance, which lowers my hands and adds loft to the club.’
  ‘This swing lets the loft of the club get the ball in the air the way it should.’
  ‘I try to get the feeling that my left hand pushes the club away at the start of the backswing.’
  ‘What's clear, though, is that all you need to play it is three clubs: a driver, a wedge and a putter.’
  ‘Every golfer is different, so the right 14 clubs for your buddy may not be right for you.’
  ‘Also, most golfers slice, so they swing the club to the left in an attempt to compensate.’
  ‘Then he hands the girls two clubs and two golf balls.’
  ‘I also know that many golfers have already begun the season, but I'm just digging my clubs out of the garage.’
  ‘Rattle the clubs in your bag when the opponent is addressing a shot.’
  ‘You don't have to invest in a complete set of clubs in the beginning.’
  ‘Anyone wishing to experience golf for the first time will receive one-hour of free coaching, when golf balls and clubs are also provided free.’
  ‘There's a good selection of lightweight Sunday bags on the market, and you don't need to carry a full set of clubs.’
  ‘Dad eventually got me a set of second-hand clubs, and I've been playing ever since.’
2clubsOne of the four suits in a conventional deck of playing cards, denoted by a black trefoil.
‘The card much to her disappointment was the mere four of clubs.’
- ‘The four of clubs is described by some as the Devil's bedstead and is loathed by many players, who claim that no good hand can include this card.’
- ‘In other words, it is of the club suit and outranked by all other clubs.’
- ‘The queen of clubs belongs for all purposes to the trump suit, not to the club suit.’
- ‘For example if hearts are trumps, the jack of clubs is the highest heart, and has nothing whatever to do with the club suit.’
- ‘My father also had an ace of hearts, an ace of clubs and the fifth card was a jack of spades.’
- ‘Players should now sort out the cards according to suit hearts, clubs, etc.’
- ‘As a wit summed it up: When there is no agreement as to which suit is trumps, clubs are always trumps.’
- ‘Whoever has the two of clubs (or diamonds if the clubs are trump) leads first.’
- ‘The chief differences are that you must make an exact bid instead of a minimum bid, and clubs are trump.’
- ‘For example if we are partners, we might agree that a bid of one club by me shows a strong hand, but has nothing to do with wanting clubs as trumps.’
- ‘The player with the higher of the two cards (ace of spades is highest, 2 of clubs lowest) will deal the cards for the next match.’
- ‘He has, among other cards, an 8 of clubs.’
- ‘When 5 play it is necessary to take out two cards - the twos of clubs and diamonds.’
- ‘The player who was dealt the 2 of clubs is not allowed to discard it to the trump pile, since it must be led to the first trick.’
- ‘She had only the Ace of clubs and the Jack of hearts.’
- ‘At the same time, the card cheat is glancing furtively around to make sure no one is watching while he pulls an extra ace of clubs from his belt.’
- ‘He had an ace and king of clubs, which meant I needed diamonds or tens.’
- ‘Her cards are strong - she has the ace of diamonds, the ace and queen of clubs, the ace and king of hearts.’
- ‘I looked at the card and could hardly believe it - seven of clubs.’
1. 2.1A playing card of the suit of clubs.
  ‘If the turned up card is a club, then clubs are automatically trump.’
  ‘Since player one now realizes that the other's card is not a club, he turns over all cards that aren't clubs.’
  ‘Suppose its late in the game, and you have a lot of trumps, and 2 medium-to-high ranking clubs.’

transitive verbclubs, clubbing, clubbed

[with object]

Beat (a person or animal) with a club or similar implement.
‘the islanders clubbed whales to death’
- ‘It appears that after Cook was wounded in the back, islanders clubbed him to death.’
- ‘She recalls seeing a kind looking elderly gentleman being clubbed to death by someone she recognized.’
- ‘They ran him through with their bayonets and clubbed him with iron bars.’
- ‘There were reports that the police clubbed several women, though there were no hospital reports of injuries.’
- ‘A security guard was in hospital today after gun-toting robbers clubbed him over the head in a raid on a supermarket.’
- ‘A teenage security guard today spoke of his terror as he was repeatedly clubbed over the head with the handle of a gun by an armed robber.’
- ‘A young couple were robbed by thugs who clubbed the boyfriend with a wooden pole.’
- ‘The chicks are clubbed to death and then decapitated.’
- ‘I reached for a rock and clubbed him from behind.’
- ‘My fists balled, I clubbed the man on the back of the head, grabbing his keys as he fell.’
- ‘I swung and clubbed him on the side of the jaw with the manacles, sending him tumbling.’
- ‘He struggled even harder against his bonds, until someone clubbed him in the back of the head.’
- ‘The animals were usually clubbed to death when they came ashore to breed.’
- ‘Graphic images of seals being clubbed to death or shot helps sustain an international boycott on their fur.’
- ‘Captured once, he escaped and survived another year before being clubbed to death.’
- ‘Stragglers were shot and those that fell down exhausted were clubbed to death or left to die.’
- ‘Last August one diner clubbed another with a baseball bat when the latter intervened in a dispute over a missing cheeseburger.’
- ‘She was attacked from behind and probably never even saw the killer who clubbed her three times over the head with a rounded blunt instrument, possibly a hammer.’
- ‘Personally, I think these practitioners should be clubbed over the head.’
cudgel, bludgeon, bash, beat with a stick, strike with a stick
View synonyms