patroness

From Middle English patronesse, from Late Latin patronissa, from Classical Latin patrōnus; equivalent to patron +‎ -ess.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪtɹənɪs/, /ˌpeɪtɹəˈnɛs/

patroness (plural patronesses)

1. (religion) A female patron goddess or saint.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     And Night, the patronesse of love-stealth fayre, / Gave them safe conduct, till to end they came.

   • 2014, Theresa A. Yugar, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, page 90:

     As a young girl, Sor Juana felt protected by Minerva's wisdom and knowledge, and this may explain why she felt connected to this goddess who was patroness of both wisdom and, “persons engaged in the learned professions.”

2. (dated, more generally) A woman who sponsors or supports a given activity, person etc.; a female patron.
   • 1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend:

     If I buy a ticket for a Flower Show, or a Music Show, or any sort of Show, and pay pretty heavy for it, why am I to be Patroned and Patronessed as if the Patrons and Patronesses treated me?

   • 1932, Virginia Woolf, The Second Common Reader (Donne After Three Centuries), page 30:

     But a diary here and there survives from which we may see the patroness more closely and less romantically.

patroness (third-person singular simple present patronesses, present participle patronessing, simple past and past participle patronessed)

1. To support or sponsor as a patroness.
   • 1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend:

     If I buy a ticket for a Flower Show, or a Music Show, or any sort of Show, and pay pretty heavy for it, why am I to be Patroned and Patronessed as if the Patrons and Patronesses treated me?

   • 1917, The Villager - Volume 1, page 182:

     on a following page there is half a column devoted to a forthcoming fashion show, patronessed by well-known New York society women yet frankly and baldly for the purposes of trade and advertisement—how ironical the announcement, “for the benefit of our soldiers at the front!"

   • 1918, Home Mission Monthly - Volume 32, Issue 10, page 236:

     The second outstanding encouragement is the growing number of Circles organized and "patronessed" by members of the Chapters.

   • 1926, The Cap and Gown, page 360:

     Subsequent comments were equally cordial from those who patronized and those who patronessed, though the agreement was general that in the future a little more floor space would not be wasted.

• near posts, postnares, prostanes, sparstone, transpose