PUBLICAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does publican mean? 

• PUBLICAN (noun)
  The noun PUBLICAN has 1 sense:

1. the keeper of a public house

  Familiarity information: PUBLICAN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUBLICAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The keeper of a public house

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

publican; tavern keeper

Hypernyms ("publican" is a kind of...):

barkeep; barkeeper; barman; bartender; mixologist (an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar)

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "publican"):

tapper; tapster (a tavern keeper who taps kegs or casks)

 Context examples 

Watson, it was no brain of a country publican that thought out such a blind as that.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I am attended by a select body of our boys; the butcher, by two other butchers, a young publican, and a sweep.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

His lips moved, and he gave voice to this enigmatic utterance: A shilling’s worth a quarter; but keep your lamps out for thruppenny-bits, or the publicans ’ll shove ’em on you for sixpence.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Having got the doctor’s general direction, I spent the day in visiting all the villages upon that side of Cambridge, and comparing notes with publicans and other local news agencies.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At last I awake, very queer about the head, as from a giddy sleep, and see the butcher walking off, congratulated by the two other butchers and the sweep and publican, and putting on his coat as he goes; from which I augur, justly, that the victory is his.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The man on the bicycle was doubtless a member of those week-end parties at the Hall of which the publican had spoken, but who he was, or what he wanted, was as obscure as ever.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)