WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Pa"tri*arch
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [F. patriarche, L. patriarcha, Gr. Father, Archaic.]
Definition : 1. The father and ruler of a family; one who governs his family or descendants by paternal right; -- usually applied to heads of families in ancient history, especially in Biblical and Jewish history to those who lived before the time of Moses.

2. (R. C. Ch. & Gr. Ch.)

Defn: A dignitary superior to the order of archbishops; as, the patriarch of Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Antioch.

3. A venerable old man; an elder. Also used figuratively. The patriarch hoary, the sage of his kith and the hamlet. Longfellow. The monarch oak, the partiarch of trees. Dryde.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913