a very old or venerable man
Old Testament any of a number of persons regarded as the fathers of the human race, divided into the antediluvian patriarchs, from Adam to Noah, and the postdiluvian, from Noah to Abraham
Old Testament any of the three ancestors of the Hebrew people: Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob
Old Testament any of Jacob's twelve sons, regarded as the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel
Early Church the bishop of one of several principal sees, esp those of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria
Eastern Orthodox Church the bishops of the four ancient principal sees of Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, and also of Russia, Romania, and Serbia, the bishop of Constantinople (the ecumenical Patriarch) being highest in dignity among these
RC Church - a title given to the pope
- a title given to a number of bishops, esp of the Uniat Churches, indicating their rank as immediately below that of the pope
Eastern Christianity the head of the Coptic, Armenian, Syrian Jacobite, or Nestorian Churches, and of certain other non-Orthodox Churches in the East
the oldest or most venerable member of a group, community, etcthe patriarch of steam engines
a person regarded as the founder of a community, tradition, etc