padrone

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

noun,plural pa·dro·nes [puh-droh-neez, -neyz], /pəˈdroʊ niz, -neɪz/, Italian pa·dro·ni [pah-draw-nee]. /pɑˈdrɔ ni/.
  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.

  1. an innkeeper.

Origin of padrone

1
From Italian, dating back to 1660–70; see origin at patron

Other words from padrone

  • pa·dro·nism [puh-droh-niz-uhm], /pəˈdroʊ nɪz əm/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use padrone in a sentence

  • The men uncovered their heads, as the noble padrones passed.

    The Title Market | Emily Post
  • During our wanderings I had met several padrones who used to beat the children who worked for them.

    Nobody's Boy | Hector Malot
  • Padrones who operate in places distant from ports of entry easily avoid detection in this way.

    Child Labor in City Streets | Edward Nicholas Clopper
  • In most cases these padrones derive an income from each boy of from $100 to as high as $500 a year.

    Child Labor in City Streets | Edward Nicholas Clopper
  • The saloon keeper has his instructions from the padrones and acts as their distributing agent.

    Child Labor in City Streets | Edward Nicholas Clopper

British Dictionary definitions for padrone

padrone

/ (pəˈdrəʊnɪ) /


nounplural -nes or -ni (-niː)
  1. the owner or proprietor of an inn, esp in Italy

  2. US an employer who completely controls his workers, esp a man who exploits Italian immigrants in the US

Origin of padrone

1
C17: from Italian; see patron 1

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