November 21, 2005

by Word Of The Day on November 21, 2005 | Trackback URI | Email This Post | 5 Views

Patrician – n. 1. A person of refined upbringing, manners, and tastes.
2. A member of an aristocracy; an aristocrat.
3. A member of one of the noble families of the ancient Roman Republic, which before the third century B.C. had exclusive rights to the Senate and the magistracies.
4. Used as a title for members of a class of honorary nobility appointed by the Byzantine emperors.
5. A member of the hereditary ruling class in the medieval free cities of Italy and Germany.