The Only Use of
patron
in
Middlemarch
- A man conscious of enthusiasm for worthy aims is sustained under petty hostilities by the memory of great workers who had to fight their way not without wounds, and who hover in his mind as patron saints, invisibly helping.†
Chpt 5patron saints = saints who support or look after specific groups
Definitions:
-
(1)
(patron as in: a patron of the arts) a regular customer; or someone who gives money or support to an organization, cause, or person
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
In ancient Roman history, patron referred to the more powerful person in a complex client-patron relationship. The term is still used in some cultures today to describe a property owner who is in charge of workers.
Also see patron saint.
Much more rarely, a patron is the proprietor of an inn.