patron

Meanings

Noun

• One who protects or supports; a defender or advocate.
• An influential, wealthy person who supported an artist, craftsman, a scholar or a noble.
• A customer, as of a certain store or restaurant.
• A protector of a dependent, especially a master who had freed a slave but still retained some paternal rights.
• One who has gift and disposition of a benefice.
• A padrone.

Verb

• To be a patron of; to patronize; to favour.
• To treat as a patron.

Origin

• From Middle English patroun, patrone, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, derived from pater. pattern.