The word of the day is publican:

< Anglo-Norman pupplican, Anglo-Norman and Old French publican, Old French, Middle French publicain (French publicain) tax-gatherer (end of the 12th cent. in Old French) and its etymon classical Latin pūblicānus contractor for the collection of taxes and dues, tax-gatherer

 

1.a. Roman Hist. A person who farms the public taxes; a tax-gatherer, esp. any of those in Judaea and Galilee in the New Testament period, who were generally regarded as traitorous and impious on account of their service of Rome and their extortion.The word is freq. in biblical quotations or allusions, esp. with reference to the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:10–11).

α.

?c1200    Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 9295   Puplicaness comenn þær. Att himm to wurrþenn fullhtnedd.

c1230  (1200)    Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 168   Schrift ah to beon eadmod as þe puplicanes wes, nawt as þe phariseus wes.

c1384    Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Matt. v. 46   Ȝif ȝe louen hem that louen ȝou, what meed shul ȝee haue? whether and puplicans don nat this thing?

a1425    Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1869) I. 397   Whi etiþ your Maistir wiþ puplicans and sinful men?

a1450    York Plays 214   Of puplicans‥prince am I.

1548    N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Matt. in Paraphr. New Test. sig. Ciii,   Matthew whiche was other wyse also called Leui, beyng of a Puplican made an Apostle.

β.

1340    Ayenbite (1866) 175   Þe farizeus‥onworþede þane publycan [a1225 Vices & Virtues seculer] þet mildeliche byet his bryest ine þe temple.

c1390    Chaucer Parson's Tale 986   Swich was the confessioun of the Publican [v.rr. Puplican, puplicane, publycane] that wolde nat heuen vp hise eyen to heuene.

a1400    Clensyng Mannes Sowle in Eng. Misc. presented to Dr. Furnivall (1901) 270   The publican‥for mekenes and lownesse thought him self vnworthi to lifte vp his eien to heuen.

?a1475  (1396)    W. Hilton Scale of Perfection (Harl. 6579) i. xx. f. 13,   Þe pharisee‥com‥wiþ þe publican to þe temple for to preye.

a1513    J. Irland Meroure of Wyssdome (1926) I. 20   And of this is exempill of the Pharizean and the publican.

1548    N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Luke in Paraphr. New Test. iii. 12   Publicans, that is to saye, the customers and takers vp of tolles.

1581    J. Marbeck Bk. of Notes 882   The Harlots and Publicans repenting truly‥are more acceptable vnto God, then y^e proud workmongers, that trust in their owne righteousnesse.

1600    Shakespeare Merchant of Venice i. iii. 39   How like a fawning publican he lookes.

1630    H. Hawkins tr. St. Jerome Sel. Epist. 18   The Publican ryses from the custome-house, and followes our Sauiour.

1703    W. Burkitt Expos. Notes New Test. Matt. ix. 9   Matthew, a grinding Publican, is the Man.

1760    E. Burke Ess. Abridgm. Eng. Hist. 42   The provinces [of Rome] were over-run by publicans,‥confiscators, usurers, bankers.

1793    J. Alleine Admonition to Unconverted Sinners 177   Lord, I come to thee as the poor publican, and I pray his prayer.

1841    Dickens Barnaby Rudge xiii. 6   Believing‥that the publicans coupled with sinners in Holy Writ were veritable licensed victuallers.

1880    L. Wallace Ben Hur viii. i. 486   He brings twelve men with him, fishermen, tillers of the soil, one a publican, all of the humbler class.

1900    Biblical World 15 191   The farmer of taxes, who, like the publican in Roman times, has bought the taxes and tries to make as much as he can out of them.

2000    Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 104 301/1   The dedication of C. Popilius Primus to Nero‥was linked to the crisis between a certain Demetrius, whom she supposes was a publican.

 b. gen. Any collector of toll, tribute, customs, etc. Also fig. Now rare.

 

  2. A person regarded as a heathen; a person cut off from the Church, an excommunicated person. Also in extended use.With reference to Jesus's injunction to treat an excommunicated person as ‘a heathen and publican’ (Matthew 18:17).

a1400  (1303)    R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) 11649   A publycan ys, yn oure sawe, A synful man, oute of þe lawe.

c1480  (1400)    St. Matthew 12 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 190   Quha in hopyne syne is tane, þe ewangell callis ‘publicane’.

a1651    D. Calderwood Hist. Kirk Scotl. (1843) II. 81   We, not one or two, but the whole church, must hold him as a publicane; that is, as one cutt off frome the bodie of Christ.

1685    W. Stanley Disc. Devot. Ch. Rome 47   One that comes by Simony into the Popedom, is by their own Canon Law‥to be looked on as a Magician, Heathen, Publican, and Arch-Heretick.

?1761    ‘B. Montfichet’ Life & Opinions B. Montfichet II. 57   If Doctor Rantum‥did not chuse to prove himself a proper christian, the quality of heathen or publican must of consequence fit full as easy upon him as that of a christian.

1890    Musical Times & Singing Class Circular 31 463/1   You must learn to swallow the master [sc. Wagner] whole or be a ‘heathen man or a publican’.

1958    Amer. Q. 10 457   When he came to‥inquire whether excommunicated persons were allowed to attend church services, he was told‥that they were because there are Biblical examples of the heathen and the publican being allowed to do so.

  3. A person who owns or manages a public house or tavern.  (OED)

"If Bloomfield and Friedman wanted to be taken seriously as businesspeople, the oyster bar had to be a hit. Its success is critical to establishing their credibility as big-time restaurateurs, rather than twice-lucky publicans."


 - Lauren Collins, "Burger Queen: April Bloomfield's gastropub revolution", The New Yorker, 22 November 2010