What does "patriarch" mean?
Patriarch: (R. C. Ch. & Gr. Ch.) A dignitary superior to the order of archbishops; as, the patriarch of Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Antioch.
Additional senses
- 2.A venerable old man; an elder. Also used figuratively. The patriarch hoary, the sage of his kith and the hamlet. Longfellow. The monarch oak, the partiarch of trees. Dryde.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00