publican

noun

pub·li·can | \ ˈpə-bli-kən

How to pronounce publican (audio)

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Definition of publican

1a : a Jewish tax collector for the ancient Romans

b : a collector of taxes or tribute

2 chiefly British : the licensee of a public house

Examples of publican in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In British usage, a publican is someone who owns a pub. — Julie Carr Smyth, chicagotribune.com, 27 Feb. 2021 In the kitchen there was Rob, the publican, who had basically given up cooking, and Andy, a northerner who was miserable and really the guy in charge of the kitchen. — Dan Hunter, Bon Appetit, 5 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'publican.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near publican

public-address system

public administration

public assistance

Statistics for publican

Cite this Entry

“Publican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publican. Accessed 12 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for publican

publican

noun

English Language Learners Definition of publican

British, formal : someone who owns or manages a pub

See the full definition for publican in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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