(Brit.)a person who owns or manages a pub (英)酒馆老板 ■(Austral.)a person who owns or manages a hotel (澳)旅馆老板
(in ancient Roman and biblical times) a collector or farmer of taxes (古罗马和《圣经》时代的)征税员;包税人 publicans and sinners. 包税人和罪人。
语源
Middle English (in sense 2): from Old French publicain, from Latin publicanus, from publicum 'public revenue', neuter (used as a noun) of publicus 'of the people'. Sense 1 dates from the early 18th cent