patron saint

noun

1
: a saint to whose protection and intercession a person, a society, a church, or a place is dedicated
2
: an original leader or prime exemplar

Examples of patron saint in a Sentence

St. David is the patron saint of Wales. St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. The success of her books has made her the patron saint of a new literary movement.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Inspired by Saint Ambrogio, the patron saint of Milan, the first location bowed in 1936. Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 23 Oct. 2024 Francis still looms as a patron saint for thalidomide survivors worldwide. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024 The Kenzo creative director and patron saint of streetwear returns for the second round in Shanghai. Luke Leitch, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024 It’s named for the patron saint of farmers, a showcase for a kitchen led by chef de cuisine Ian Lanphear to harvest local meats and produce from the multimarket ecosystem of Pullman and beyond. Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for patron saint 

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of patron saint was in 1703

Dictionary Entries Near patron saint

Cite this Entry

“Patron saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patron%20saint. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

patron saint

noun
: a saint to whom a person, society, church, or place is dedicated

More from Merriam-Webster on patron saint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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