patriarch

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
16
Words With Friends
17
Letters
9
Pronunciation
/ˈpeɪtɹɪɑːk/ (UK)
See all 3 pronunciations
/ˈpeɪtɹɪɑːk/ (UK) · /ˈpætɹiɑːk/ (UK) · /ˈpeɪtɹiɑɹk/ (US)

Definition of patriarch

7 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. The highest form of bishop, in the ancient world having authority over other bishops in the province but now generally as an honorary title; in Roman Catholicism, considered a bishop second only to the Pope in rank.
See all 7 definitions

noun

  1. The highest form of bishop, in the ancient world having authority over other bishops in the province but now generally as an honorary title; in Roman Catholicism, considered a bishop second only to the Pope in rank.
  2. A male leader of a family, tribe or ethnic group, especially one of the twelve sons of Jacob (considered to have created the twelve tribes of Israel) or (in plural) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
    “Men and brethren / lett me frely ſpeake vnto you of the patriarke David: For he is both deed and buryed / and his ſepulcre remayneth with vs vnto this daye.”
  3. A founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.
  4. An old leader of a village or community.
    “The opinions of this junto were completely controlled by Nicholas Vedder, a patriarch of the village, and landlord of the inn, at the door of which he took his seat from morning till night, just moving sufficiently to […] keep in the shade of a large tree; […]”
  5. The male progenitor of a genetic or tribal line, or of a clan or extended family.
  6. The male head of a household or nuclear family.
    “The popular Duck Dynasty television show and Duck Commander products took center stage in a controversy over comments made by Phil Robertson. As patriarch of the family and founder of the company, he stars in the A&E reality show based on his Louisiana life and company.”
    “Fictional male antiheroes like television’s crime patriarchs Tony Soprano and Walter White have reigned for some time, but the antiheroine has only more recently had the opportunity to rise up – and become the cause of her own downfall.”
  7. A shade of purple

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English patriark, patriarche, from Late Latin patriarcha; later reinforced by Old French patriarche, from Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “the founder of the tribe/family”), from Ancient Greek πατριά (patriá,…

See full etymology

From Middle English patriark, patriarche, from Late Latin patriarcha; later reinforced by Old French patriarche, from Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “the founder of the tribe/family”), from Ancient Greek πατριά (patriá, “generation, ancestry, descent, tribe, family”) + -ᾰ́ρχης (-ắrkhēs, “-arch”), with some senses likely influenced directly by Latin pāter (“father”) or Ancient Greek πᾰτήρ (pătḗr, “father”). Compare matriarch. By surface analysis, patri- + -arch.

Anagrams of patriarch

1 play · some not in Scrabble

Words you can make from patriarch

141 playable · top: PARRITCH (15 pts)

Best play parritch 15 points

8-letter words

1 word

7-letter words

5 words

6-letter words

6 words

5-letter words

28 words

4-letter words

50 words

3-letter words

38 words

2-letter words

12 words

Hooks

2 extensions · 2 back

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