名詞 public:

1. people in general considered as a whole
   同義詞：populace, world
2. a body of people sharing some common interest

形容詞 public:

1. not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole
2. affecting the people or community as a whole

1. The pension fund owns shares in several major public companies.
   該養(yǎng)老基金在幾家主要出售股份給公眾的公司中均有股份。
2. The town has its own public library and public gardens.
   那城市有自己的公用圖書館和公園。
3. She decided to make her views public.
   她決定把自己的觀點(diǎn)公開。
4. The town gardens are open to the public from sunrise to the sunset daily.
   市立公園每天從早到晚對(duì)公眾開放。

pub.lic

adj.Abbr. pub.（形容詞）縮寫 pub.
Of, concerning, or affecting the community or the people:
公共的，公眾的：社會(huì)或民眾的，與社會(huì)或民眾有關(guān)的或影響社會(huì)或民眾的：
例句：
the public good.
公眾利益

Maintained for or used by the people or community:
公用的：為民眾或社會(huì)保養(yǎng)的或供他們使用的：
例句：
a public park.
公園

Capitalized in shares of stock that can be traded on the open market:
有股上市的：由可在自由市場(chǎng)上交易的股份提供資金的：
例句：
a public company.
有股上市的公司

Participated in or attended by the people or community:
公眾參與的：由民眾或社會(huì)參與或處理的：
例句：
.Opinions are formed in a process of open discussion and public debate.(Hannah Arendt)
.意見是在一系列的公開討論和公眾的爭(zhēng)論中形成的.(漢娜·阿倫特)

Connected with or acting on behalf of the people, community, or government:
公眾的，代表的：與民眾、社會(huì)或政府相聯(lián)系的，或代表民眾、社會(huì)或政府行事的：
例句：
public office.
公職

Open to the knowledge or judgment of all:
眾所周知的：所有人都知道的或公開裁判的：
例句：
a public scandal.
盡人皆知的丑聞

n.Abbr. pub.（名詞）縮寫 pub.
The community or the people as a whole.
公眾：作為一個(gè)整體的社會(huì)或民眾
A group of people sharing a common interest:
同好者：有共同興趣的一群人：
例句：
the reading public.
讀者大眾

Admirers or followers, especially of a famous person.See Usage Note at collective noun
追隨者：崇拜者或追隨者，尤指一個(gè)名人的追隨者和崇拜者參見 collective noun

<習(xí)慣用語>go public
To become publicly owned, by launching shares of stock onto the open market:
公開發(fā)售股票：通過把股票投入公開市場(chǎng)而使…成為公眾所擁有：
例句：
The company went public after having been closely held for 2 years.
這個(gè)公司在被緊密地控制了十二年之后，終于公開召股了

go public with【非正式用語】
To reveal to the public a previously unknown or secret piece of information:
公布于眾：把先前不為大眾所知或秘密的情況公布于眾：
例句：
The president finally had to go public with the scandal.
總統(tǒng)最后只有把這樁丑聞公之于眾

in public
In such a way as to be visible to the scrutiny of the people:
公開地：以一種能被民眾密切觀察的方式：
例句：
.A career is born in public-talent in privacy.(Marilyn Monroe)
.事業(yè)是基于在私下公開的才智而形成的.(瑪麗琳·門羅)

來源：
Middle English publik
中古英語 publik
from Old French public
源自 古法語 public
from Latin pôblicus
源自 拉丁語 pôblicus
alteration influenced by pôbôs [adult population] * see puberty
受 pôbôs的影響 [成年人口] *參見 puberty
of poplicus
poplicus的變化
from populus [people]
源自 populus [人民]
[of Etruscan origin]
[源于伊特魯里亞語]

【引伸】
pub.licness
n.（名詞）