Patron

n.	1.	One who protects, supports, or countenances; a defender.
	2.	(Rom. Antiq.) A master who had freed his slave, but still retained some paternal rights over him. Let him who works the client wrong Beware the patron's ire. - Macaulay.
	3.	One who encourages or helps a person, a cause, or a work; a furtherer; a promoter; as, a patron of art.
	4.	(Eccl. Law) One who has gift and disposition of a benefice.
	5.	A guardian saint. - called also patron saint.
	6.	(Naut.) See Padrone, 2. Patrons of Husbandry the grangers. See Granger, 2.
v. t.	1.	To be a patron of; to patronize; to favor.
a.	1.	Doing the duty of a patron; giving aid or protection; tutelary. Patron saint (R. C. Ch.) a saint regarded as the peculiar protector of a country, community, church, profession, etc., or of an individual.

Noun	1.	patron - a regular customer Synonyms: frequenter
	2.	patron - the proprietor of an inn
	3.	patron - someone who supports or champions something Synonyms: sponsor, supporter

PATRON, eccl. law. He who has the disposition and gift of an ecclesiastical benefice. In the Roman law it signified the former master of a freedman. Dig. 2, 4, 8, 1.

Dionysus, Maecenas, OD, Samaritan, Santa Claus, abettor, admirer, advocate, aficionado, aid, aider, almoner, almsgiver, angel, apologist, assignor, assister, attender, audience, awarder, backer, befriender, benefactor, benefactress, benefiter, bestower, boatswain, booster, boss, buff, bwana, captain, caterer, champion, chandler, cheerful giver, chef, chief, chief engineer, chief mate, church dignitary, commander, commissariat, commissary, conferrer, consignor, contributor, customer, deck officer, defender, dependence, donator, donor, ecclesiarch, elder, employer, encourager, endorser, exponent, fairy godmother, fan, favorer, feoffor, financer, frequenter, friend, friend at court, funder, furnisher, giver, good Samaritan, good person, goodman, grantor, grubstaker, guarantor, guardian angel, guru, habitue, haunter, help, helper, helping hand, husband, imparter, jack-at-a-pinch, lady bountiful, liege, liege lord, lord, lord paramount, lover, mainstay, maintainer, manciple, mark, master, mate, meal ticket, merchant, ministering angel, ministrant, naval officer, navigating officer, navigator, overlord, padrone, paramount, paranymph, partisan, paterfamilias, patriarch, patroness, philanthropist, pillar, pipes, presenter, promoter, prospect, protagonist, protector, protectress, provider, provisioner, purveyor, quartermaster, rabbi, regular, regular customer, reliance, retailer, rock, safekeeper, sahib, sailing master, second, second mate, seconder, sectary, seigneur, seignior, settler, shipmaster, sider, skipper, spectator, sponsor, staker, stalwart, standby, starets, steward, stock clerk, storekeeper, subscriber, succorer, sucker, sugar daddy, supplier, support, supporter, surety, sustainer, sutler, sympathizer, teacher, testate, testator, testatrix, the Old Man, theatergoer, tower, tower of strength, upholder, victualer, visitor, vivandier, votary, vouchsafer, watch officer, well-wisher