patron

Definitions

1. 1.(Rom. Antiq.) (a) A master who had freed his slave, but still retained some paternal rights over him. (b) A man of distinction under whose protection another person placed himself. (c) An advocate or pleader. Let him who works the client wrong Beware the patron's ire. Macaulay.
2. 2.One who encourages or helps a person, a cause, or a work; a furtherer; a promoter; as, a patron of art.
3. 3.(Eccl. Law) One who has gift and disposition of a benefice. [Eng.]
4. 4.A guardian saint. -- called also patron saint.
5. 5.(Naut.) See Padrone, 2. Patrons of Husbandry, the grangers. See Granger, 2.
6. 6.To be a patron of; to patronize; to favor. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
7. 7.Doing the duty of a patron; giving aid or protection; tutelary. Dryden. Patron saint (R. C. Ch.), a saint regarded as the peculiar protector of a country, community, church, profession, etc., or of an individual.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "patron" mean?
• What is another word for "patron"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is patron.

• What is one who encourages or helps a person, a cause, or a work; a furtherer; a promoter; as, a patron of art called?
• What is one who has gift and disposition of a benefice. [Eng.] called?
• What is a guardian saint. -- called also patron saint called?
• What is see Padrone, 2. Patrons of Husbandry, the grangers. See Granger, 2 called?
• What is to be a patron of; to patronize; to favor. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne called?