patron saint

noun

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Definition of patron saint

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

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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 VanDerveer and Barnes must believe the Pac-12’s patron saint is Rodney Dangerfield. — Steve Kroner, San Francisco Chronicle, "'A dream come true' for Pac-12: Stanford women meet Arizona for NCAA title," 3 Apr. 2021 Sir Elton John, our patron saint of sky-high platforms, feather boas, and larger-than-life sunnies, turns 74 today. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "This Spring, I’m Turning to Elton John for Style Inspiration," 25 Mar. 2021 That allowed the patron saint of the modern GOP (and his successors) to rationalize massive tax cuts for the rich. — Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "Lessons that a 7-year-old girl can teach today’s Republicans," 6 Mar. 2021 What originated as a commemoration of Christianity in Ireland and St. Patrick, the island’s patron saint, has evolved into a broader celebration of Irish culture that often involves parades, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. — Kathleen Christiansen, orlandosentinel.com, "Feeling lucky? Here are St. Patrick’s Day events and deals in Central Florida," 15 Mar. 2021 Here are some common questions and quick facts about the patron saint of Ireland. — al, "Did St. Patrick drive snakes out of Ireland, teach the Trinity with clover?," 17 Mar. 2021 The commemoration of the patron saint of their home country of Ireland became a logical event for the American Irish diaspora to celebrate. — Will Jeakle, Forbes, "The Real Story Of Saint Patrick," 16 Mar. 2021 All that would be enough by itself, of course, but Aloysius Gonzaga is also patron saint of the victims of plagues. — Erik Brady, USA TODAY, "Why Gonzaga's namesake saint is a perfect fit in 2021 men's basketball season," 8 Mar. 2021 Behind the Name also notes that Saint Elmo is the patron saint of sailors. — Jamie Ballard, Woman's Day, "100 Excellent Baby Boy Names that Start With "E"," 4 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patron saint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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