patron saint

SEE SYNONYMS FOR patron saint ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a saint regarded as the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of patron saint

First recorded in 1710–20

Words nearby patron saint

patrolman, patrologist, patrology, patrolwoman, patron, patron saint, patronage, patroness, patronize, patronizing, patronne
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for patron saint

British Dictionary definitions for patron saint

patron saint

noun

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

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.