PUBLICAN


Meaning of PUBLICAN in English

■ noun

1》 Brit. a person who owns or manages a pub.

↘ Austral. a person who owns or manages a hotel.

2》 (in ancient Roman and biblical times) a collector or farmer of taxes.

Origin

ME: from OFr. publicain , from L. ~us , from publicum 'public revenue'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.