patron saint

American  

noun

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

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patron saint British  

noun

1. a saint regarded as the particular guardian of a country, church, trade, person, etc

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patron saint Cultural  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of patron saint

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

The giant candlesticks’ scrolled feet support robustly modeled evangelists; Mark is most conspicuous, as befits the patron saint of Venice.

From The Wall Street Journal

The portrait of Finley’s wife, Cameron Washington, was perched in the southwest corner, looking down on the space like a kind of patron saint of all the portraits, over a dozen total.

From Los Angeles Times

I have been called the “king of weird” and the “patron saint of oddball cars.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes, it feels like he’s the unofficial patron saint of art suffering, fixated on the glory and anguish of putting yourself out there in the world.

From Los Angeles Times

People in a Welsh village were left baffled after St George's Crosses, the symbol of England's patron saint and the country's flag, appeared around the area.

From BBC

Related Words

• guardian angel