Patronage
(Pa"tron*age) n. [F. patronage. Cf. LL. patronaticum, and L. patronatus.]
1. Special countenance or support; favor, encouragement, or aid, afforded to a person or a work; as, the
patronage of letters; patronage given to an author.
2. Business custom. [Commercial Cant]
3. Guardianship, as of a saint; tutelary care. Addison.
4. The right of nomination to political office; also, the offices, contracts, honors, etc., which a public officer
may bestow by favor.
5. (Eng. Law) The right of presentation to church or ecclesiastical benefice; advowson. Blackstone.
Patronage
(Pa"tron*age), v. t. To act as a patron of; to maintain; to defend. [Obs.] Shak.
Patronal
(Pa"tron*al) a. [L. patronalis; cf. F. patronal.] Patron; protecting; favoring. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Patronate
(Pa"tron*ate) n. [L. patronatus.] The right or duty of a patron; patronage. [R.] Westm. Rev.
Patroness
(Pa"tron*ess) n. [Cf. F. patronnesse.] A female patron or helper. Spenser.
Night, best patroness of grief.
Milton. Patronization
(Pa`tron*i*za"tion) n. The act of patronizing; patronage; support. [R.]
Patronize
(Pa"tron*ize) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Patronized ; p. pr. & vb. n. Patronizing ]
1. To act as patron toward; to support; to countenance; to favor; to aid.
The idea has been patronized by two States only.
A. Hamilton. 2. To trade with customarily; to frequent as a customer. [Commercial Cant]
3. To assume the air of a patron, or of a superior and protector, toward; — used in an unfavorable sense; as,
to patronize one's equals.
Patronizer
(Pa"tron*i`zer) n. One who patronizes.
Patronizing
(Pa"tron*i`zing) a. Showing condescending favor; assuming the manner of airs of a superior
toward another. — Pat"ron*i`zing*ly, adv. Thackeray.
Patronless
(Pa"tron*less) a. Destitute of a patron.
Patronomayology
(Pa`tro*nom`a*yol"o*gy) n. [Gr. a father + E. onomatology.] That branch of knowledge
which deals with personal names and their origin; the study of patronymics.
Patronymic
(Pa`tro*nym"ic) a. [L. patronymicus, Gr. father + name: cf. F. patronymique.] Derived
from ancestors; as, a patronymic denomination.
Patronymic
(Pa`tro*nym"ic), n. A modification of the father's name borne by the son; a name derived
from that of a parent or ancestor; as, Pelides, the son of Peleus; Johnson, the son of John; Macdonald,
the son of Donald; Paulowitz, the son of Paul; also, the surname of a family; the family name. M. A.
Lower.
Patronymical
(Pa`tro*nym"ic*al) a. Same as Patronymic.
