DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 pa·tron·age /ˈpætrənɪʤ, ˈpe-/
 贊助,光顧,任免權,保護人的身分

 Pa·tron·age n.
 1. Special countenance or support; favor, encouragement, or aid, afforded to a person or a work; as, the patronage of letters; patronage given to an author.
 2. Business custom. [Commercial Cant]
 3. Guardianship, as of a saint; tutelary care.
 4. The right of nomination to political office; also, the offices, contracts, honors, etc., which a public officer may bestow by favor.
 5. Eng. Law The right of presentation to church or ecclesiastical benefice; advowson.

 Pa·tron·age, v. t. To act as a patron of; to maintain; to defend. [Obs.]
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 patronage
      n 1: the act of providing approval and support; "his vigorous
           backing of the conservatives got him in trouble with
           progressives" [syn: backing, backup, championship]
      2: customers collectively; "they have an upper class clientele"
         [syn: clientele, business]
      3: a communication that indicates lack of respect by
         patronizing the recipient [syn: condescension, disdain]
      4: (politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making
         appointments to office in return for political support
      5: the business given to a commercial establishment by its
         customers; "even before noon there was a considerable
         patronage" [syn: trade]
      v 1: support by being a patron of
      2: be a regular customer or client of; "We patronize this
         store"; "Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long
         as he could" [syn: patronize, patronise, support, keep
         going]