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publican

[ puhb-li-kuhn ]
/ ˈpʌb lɪ kən /

noun

Chiefly British. a person who owns or manages a tavern; the keeper of a pub.
Roman History. a person who collected public taxes.
any collector of taxes, tolls, tribute, or the like.

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Origin of publican

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English word from Latin word pūblicānus.See public, -an

Words nearby publican

public accountant, public-address system, public administration, public administrator, public affairs, publican, public assistance, publication, publication date, public bar, public bill
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for publican

British Dictionary definitions for publican

publican
/ (ˈpʌblɪkən) /

noun

(in Britain) a person who keeps a public house
(in ancient Rome) a public contractor, esp one who farmed the taxes of a province

Word Origin for publican

C12: from Old French publicain, from Latin pūblicānus tax gatherer, from pūblicum state revenues
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012