patrons

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of patron.

   Wealthy patrons funded most of the great paintings of that era.

   Regular patrons of the theater receive discounted tickets each season.

   Note

   One spelling covers a wide social range. Patrons can be defenders and advocates, guardian saints, wealthy backers of artists and scholars, or simply the customers of a shop or restaurant. Older meanings survive in specialist corners: the protectors of freed slaves in Roman history, and, in British usage, those who hold the gift of a benefice. The words around it decide the meaning. Patrons of the arts are funders; patrons of a café are diners.

2. 2
   verbobsolete

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of patron.

   Note

   This form rarely appears outside older texts. The verb patron, meaning to support or favor someone, is obsolete, and modern writers reach for patronizes instead. Because it is spelled exactly like the plural noun, a sentence such as "she patrons the arts" can look like a slip to present-day readers. Favors or patronizes carries the same meaning without the stumble.

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