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publican

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noun pub·li·can \ˈpə-bli-kən\

Definition of publican

  1. 1a :  a Jewish tax collector for the ancient Romansb :  a collector of taxes or tribute

  2. 2 chiefly British :  the licensee of a public house

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Origin and Etymology of publican

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin publicanus tax farmer, from publicum public revenue, from neuter of publicus

PUBLICAN Defined for English Language Learners

publican

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noun

Definition of publican for English Language Learners

  • : someone who owns or manages a pub

Learn More about publican

  1. Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about publican

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