patron saint
a saint regarded as the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc.
Origin of patron saint
1Words Nearby patron saint
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use patron saint in a sentence
At the time, last March, the then-46-year-old Omidyar was being heralded as a patron saint of the financially beleaguered newsbiz.
Journalists + eBay Billionaire = Chaos. The Troubles at Pierre Omidyar’s First Look Media | Lloyd Grove | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEven the patron saint of teenage girls, Judy Blume, is featured on the back cover with a blurb for the book.
He subsequently spread the faith to what became Russia, which embraces him as a patron saint.
Ukrainians in U.S. Warn: ‘Mr. Putin, Heroes Do Not Die’ | Michael Daly | April 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA decaying statue of St. Lucia, patron saint of the blind, holds a platter with two eyes.
They filed out beneath the stained-glass windows depicting the patron saint of beekeepers and candle makers.
As 2014 Began, a Fateful Path to a Catholic Priest’s Murder | Michael Daly | January 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It was believed in Ypres that the town had been saved by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, its patron saint.
Belgium | George W. T. (George William Thomson) OmondShe took part in the erection of the Cathedral of Ely amid the morasses of the “Fen” country, and was chosen as its patron saint.
Milton's England | Lucia Ames MeadSan Francisco Bay, the harbor the Franciscans named for their patron saint, is noted for its picturesque scenery.
Stories of California | Ella M. SextonPiran, the patron saint of tinners, would hardly have called down such a curse, though he might have done so if greatly provoked.
The Cornwall Coast | Arthur L. SalmonMeeting, therefore, on so auspicious a day as that of the patron saint, might in "merrie time" of old induce a little festivity.
British Dictionary definitions for patron saint
a saint regarded as the particular guardian of a country, church, trade, person, etc
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
Cultural definitions for patron saint
A saint from whom a person or group claims special protection or prayers. Saint Christopher, for example, is considered the patron of travelers; Saint Luke, the patron of doctors; and Saint Patrick, the patron of Ireland. People who have the same name as a saint may consider the saint their patron. The honoring of patron saints is especially common in the Roman Catholic Church.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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