Publican
From Hull AWE
Revision as of 11:12, 3 April 2007 by JosieCrummay (Talk | contribs)
This word means the owner, manager or keeper of a 'public house' - or pub, in modern spoken British English. It does not mean a member of the public.
(A public house is a building where any member of the public (subject to the Licensing laws) may be lodged or 'entertained', usually for the short term. Nowadays the 'entertainment' is always understood to involve alcoholic drink. The most usual name, in colloquial English in the UK at any rate, is pub.)