All 6 Uses

patron
in
Sweet Far Thing
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It is to be a masked ball, a jolly spectacle of costume, held on May Day for patrons and parents.†
Chpt 1
It was suggested that Trimble would make a more suitable name for the stage—and for the well-bred patrons who come to see famous actresses," she remarks dryly.†
Chpt 2
Our scheme at Christmas has cost her this, for Mrs. Nightwing can't afford to upset her patrons, and by now, they all know of the scandal.†
Chpt 3
Gone are the days when a nobleman served as patron to all who worked his land.†
Chpt 4
For who would dare name the patron saint of England as anything but a hero?†
Chpt 4

patron saint = saint who supports or looks after
Nightwing bustles about as if we were expecting Her Majesty to come rather than a small coterie of parents and patrons.†
Chpt 4 *

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)
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.