patron

B2 Topic:Shopping & Services

US /ˈpeɪ.tɹən/ See IPA manual

Freq #10108

Meanings

1

noun
A customer of a shop, restaurant, or other business, especially a regular one.

This car park is for patrons only.
2

noun
A person who gives money and support to an artist, organization, or cause.

A wealthy patron paid for the young painter's studies.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a customer of a shop,... frequentercustomer

2 noun · a person who gives money... supporter

Word family

Forms patrons

Derived forms copatronenpatronmicropatronnonpatronpatrondompatronise patronize patronlesspatronlikepatronly patronshipplaytron

Related forms impatronizepatronage patroness pattern sponsor

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

patron saint
a saint regarded as a special protector of a group, place, or activity

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Patron came through French from Latin patronus, “protector of clients” or “defender,” and ultimately from pater, “father.” Patron and pattern were originally forms of the same word, but patron became restricted to people as their meanings separated around 1700.

Etymology

From Middle English patroun, patrone, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, derived from pater (“father”). Doublet of padrone, Patronus, patroon, and pattern.

*peh₂- Proto-Indo-European patroun Middle English patron Middle English patrōnus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Shopping & Services

External links

# patron

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpeɪ.tɹən/
**Frequency rank:** 10108

## Meanings
1. A customer of a shop, restaurant, or other business, especially a regular one.
2. A person who gives money and support to an artist, organization, or cause.

## Examples
- This car park is for patrons only.
- A wealthy patron paid for the young painter's studies.

## Derived Forms
- copatron
- enpatron
- micropatron
- nonpatron
- patrondom
- patronise
- patronize
- patronless
- patronlike
- patronly
- patronship
- playtron

## Related Forms
- impatronize
- patronage
- patroness
- pattern
- sponsor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *peh₂-
- Root: patroun
- Root: patron
- Root: patrōnus

## Etymology
From Middle English patroun, patrone, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, derived from pater (“father”). Doublet of padrone, Patronus, patroon, and pattern.

## AI Etymology
Patron comes from Middle English patroun, patrone, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, derived from pater (“father”). Doublet of padrone, Patronus, patroon, and pattern. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-, Middle English patroun, Old French patron, and Latin patrōnus. Modern senses include a customer of a shop, restaurant, or other business, especially a regular one and a person who gives money and support to an artist, organization, or cause. The wider word family includes derivatives such as copatron, enpatron, micropatron, nonpatron, patrondom, and patronise and related forms such as impatronize, patronage, patroness, and pattern.

## Topics
- Shopping & Services

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