Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The support or encouragement of a patron, as for an institution or cause.
  • noun Support or encouragement proffered in a condescending manner.
  • noun The trade given to a commercial establishment by its customers.
  • noun Customers or patrons considered as a group; clientele.
  • noun The power to distribute or appoint people to governmental or political positions.
  • noun The act of distributing or appointing people to such positions.
  • noun The positions so distributed or filled.
  • noun The right to grant an ecclesiastical benefice to a member of the clergy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The position of or the aid afforded by a patron; the countenance or support of a patron or of patrons: often used in the sense of countenance or favor shown in a patronizing or superciliously condescending way.
  • noun Guardianship, as of a saint.
  • noun The right of presentation to a church or ecclesiastical benefice.
  • noun The control of appointments to positions in the public service; also, the offices so controlled.
  • To patronize or support; maintain; make good.
  • noun In ancient Rome, the relation borne by a patron to his client. See patron, n., 1 .

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Special countenance or support; favor, encouragement, or aid, afforded to a person or a work
  • noun Commercial Cant Business custom.
  • noun Guardianship, as of a saint; tutelary care.
  • noun The right of nomination to political office; also, the offices, contracts, honors, etc., which a public officer may bestow by favor.
  • noun (Eng. Law) The right of presentation to church or ecclesiastical benefice; advowson.
  • transitive verb obsolete To act as a patron of; to maintain; to defend.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act of providing approval and support; backing; championship.
  • noun Customers collectively; clientele; business.
  • noun A communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient; condescension; disdain.
  • noun politics Granting favours or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support.
  • verb transitive To support by being a patron of.
  • verb transitive To be a regular customer or client of; to patronize; to patronise; to support; to keep going.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb be a regular customer or client of
  • noun (politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
  • noun the business given to a commercial establishment by its customers
  • noun the act of providing approval and support
  • noun a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient
  • noun customers collectively
  • verb support by being a patron of

Etymologies

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