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padrone

[ puh-droh-nee, -ney; Italian pah-draw-ne ]

noun

, plural pa·dro·nes [p, uh, -, droh, -neez, -neyz], Italian pa·dro·ni [pah-, draw, -nee].
  1. a master; boss.
  2. an employer, especially of immigrant laborers, who provides communal housing and eating arrangements, controls the allocation of pay, etc., in a manner that exploits the workers.
  3. an innkeeper.


padrone

/ pəˈdrəʊnɪ /

noun

  1. the owner or proprietor of an inn, esp in Italy
  2. an employer who completely controls his workers, esp a man who exploits Italian immigrants in the US
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • pa·dro·nism [p, uh, -, droh, -niz-, uh, m], noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of padrone1

From Italian, dating back to 1660–70; patron
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Word History and Origins

Origin of padrone1

C17: from Italian; see patron 1
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Example Sentences

He has an engaging grin, his English is fluent and he resembles not a gravedigger but the shrewd and affable padrone of a very successful restaurant.

Their first big success came in 1977 when they won the Palm d’Or at Cannes for their film “Padre padrone,” about a shepherd in Sardinia who sought to escape his domineering father by educating himself.

Like a proud padrone, Mr Renzi may demand respect for Italy’s position.

The padrone of my lodgings came in this morning, and told me the circumstances with the most serious astonishment.

The people were Mas'aniello's "padrone," and like the wine in the flask, their favour was sweet at night but sour in the morning.

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