patron saint : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: patron saint	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for patron saint
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
patron saint n a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Patron \Pa"tron\, a. 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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Patron \Pa"tron\, n. [F., fr. L. patronus, fr. pater a father. See {Paternal}, and cf. {Patroon}, {Padrone}, {Pattern}.] 1. One who protects, supports, or countenances; a defender. [bd]Patron of my life and liberty.[b8] --Shak. [bd]The patron of true holiness.[b8] --Spenser. 2. (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. 3. One who encourages or helps a person, a cause, or a work; a furtherer; a promoter; as, a patron of art. 4. (Eccl. Law) One who has gift and disposition of a benefice. [Eng.] 5. A guardian saint. -- called also {patron saint}. 6. (Naut.) See {Padrone}, 2. {Patrons of Husbandry}, the grangers. See {Granger}, 2.