Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A woman who supports, protects, or champions someone or something, such as an institution, event, or cause; a sponsor or benefactor.
- noun A woman who possesses the right to grant an ecclesiastical benefice to a member of the clergy.
- noun A patron saint.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A female patron.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A female patron or helper.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A woman who
sponsors orsupports a given activity, person etc.; a femalepatron .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a woman who is a patron or the wife of a patron
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Eustace smiled meekly, but answered somewhat venomously nevertheless — “I, at least, am certain that I speak the truth, when I call my patroness a virgin undefiled.”
Westward Ho! 2007
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"I, at least, am certain that I speak the truth, when I call my patroness a virgin undefiled."
Westward Ho!, or, the voyages and adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, of Burrough, in the county of Devon, in the reign of her most glorious majesty Queen Elizabeth Charles Kingsley 1847
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I agree that the patroness was a little too convenient and failed to show any actual persuasion on the part of Caffrey, but it was an easy fix that we all knew was coming.
Josh Wolk's Pop Culture Club talks 'White Collar': Was it fun crime or punishment? | EW.com 2009
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St. Lucy is populary know as the patroness of eye ailments.
All Saints' Day Treats ~ St. Lucy Cupcakes Jessica 2009
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His relationship with his patroness was a comfortable and easy one, and he did not hesitate to ask directly, "Will he indeed find the gentlewoman he's seeking at Elford?"
The Confession of Brother Haluin Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1988
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His relationship with his patroness was a comfortable and easy one, and he did not hesitate to ask directly, "Will he indeed find the gentlewoman he's seeking at Elford?"
The Confession of Brother Haluin Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1988
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One of her new acquaintances was Mrs. Rayner Mann, a lady who desired to be known as the patroness of young people aiming at success on the stage or as musicians.
The Whirlpool George Gissing 1880
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Nay, but first, he said, they must give their mites for a convent of the Clarisses, that was building at Castres, by the care of the holy Colette, whom he might call his patroness, unworthy as he was.
A Monk of Fife Andrew Lang 1878
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Now of these races, the British (I avoid the word Celtic, because you would expect me to say Keltic; and I don't mean to, lest you should be wanting me next to call the patroness of music St. Kekilia), the
The Pleasures of England Lectures given in Oxford John Ruskin 1859
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German _Life of S. Dorothea_, the so-called patroness of Prussia?
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