patron saint

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪtɹən ˈseɪnt/

Noun

patron saint (plural patron saints)

1. (Christianity) A saint conceived as the patron (protector or supporter) of a particular place, group, or activity.

   St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland; St. Isidore is the patron saint of software engineers; and St. Anthony is the patron saint of travelers and finding lost things.

2. (figuratively) An exemplar: an individual who exemplifies some trait or group.

   Janet is the patron saint of procrastination. I'm thinking of erecting her a shrine of doughnut boxes in the breakroom.

Synonyms

• (exemplar): See Thesaurus:exemplar

Translations

saint from whom a specific group claims special protection or prayer

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 主保聖人／主保圣人 (zhǔbǎo shèngrén), 主保圣人 (zhǔbǎo shèngrén)

• Danish: skytshelgen c
• Dutch: beschermheilige (nl) c
• Finnish: suojeluspyhimys
• French: saint patron (fr) m
• Galician: patrono m
• German: Schutzheiliger (de) m, Schutzheilige (de) f, Schutzpatron (de) m, Schutzpatronin (de) f
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: védőszent (hu)
• Icelandic: verndardýrlingur m
• Irish: éarlamh m

  Old Irish: érlam m

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: santo patrono m
• Japanese: 守護聖人 (しゅごせいじん, shugoseijin)
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: święty patron m
• Portuguese: patrono (pt) m, padroeiro (pt) m, orago m
• Romanian: sfânt patron, sfinți patroni m pl
• Russian: свято́й покрови́тель m (svjatój pokrovítelʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: naomh-taice m
• Spanish: patrono (es) m, santo patrón m, santo patrono m
• Swedish: skyddshelgon n
• Tagalog: pintakasi (tl)
• Ukrainian: святий покровитель m (svjatyj pokrovytelʹ)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

exemplar — see exemplar

Anagrams

• antipartons