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| pa·tri·arch [ páytree rk ] (plural pa·tri·archs) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. head of family: a man who is the head of a family or group
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2. respected senior: a respected and experienced senior man within a group or family
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3. biblical ancestor: in the Bible, a figure mentioned as the ancestor of the whole human race, e.g. Adam or Noah
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4. Hebrew leader: in the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the book of Genesis, an ancestor or religious leader of the Hebrew people, e.g. Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob
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5. Eastern Orthodox bishop: in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a bishop of the sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antakya, or Jerusalem, and also of Russia, Romania, or Serbia
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6. dignitary of Latter-Day Saints: a high dignitary of the Church of Latter-Day Saints with the power to invoke blessings, especially one of the Melchizedek order of priests
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| [12th century. Directly or via French< ecclesiastical Latin patriarcha< Greek patriarkhēs "head of a family" < patria "family"] |
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