From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Patrician \Pa*tri"cian\, adjective [L. patricius, fr. patres fathers or senators, pl. of pater: cf. F. patricien. See {Paternal}.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) Of or pertaining to the Roman patres (fathers) or senators, or patricians.
2. Of, pertaining to, or appropriate to, a person of high birth; noble; not plebeian.
Born in the patrician file of society. --Sir W. Scott.
His horse's hoofs wet with patrician blood. --Addison.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Patrician \Pa*tri"cian\, noun [L. patricius: cf. F. patricien.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) Originally, a member of any of the families constituting the populus Romanus, or body of Roman citizens, before the development of the plebeian order; later, one who, by right of birth or by special privilege conferred, belonged to the nobility.
2. A person of high birth; a nobleman.
3. One familiar with the works of the Christian Fathers; one versed in patristic lore. [R.] --Colridge.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
adjective
1: of the hereditary aristocracy or ruling class of ancient Rome or medieval Europe; of honorary nobility in the Byzantine empire [ant: {plebeian}, {proletarian}]
2: belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy; "an aristocratic family"; "aristocratic Bostonians"; "aristocratic government"; "a blue family"; "blue blood"; "the blue-blooded aristocracy"; "of gentle blood"; "patrician landholders of the American South"; "aristocratic bearing"; "aristocratic features"; "patrician tastes" [syn: {aristocratic}, {aristocratical}, {blue}, {blue-blooded}, {gentle}]
noun
1: a person of refined upbringing and manners
2: a member of the aristocracy [syn: {aristocrat}, {blue blood}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
60 Moby Thesaurus words for "patrician": Brahman, archduke, aristocrat, aristocratic, armiger, baron, baronet, blue blood, chivalrous, count, daimio, ducal, duke, earl, esquire, exalted, genteel, gentle, gentleman, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, grand duke, grandee, hidalgo, high, kinglike, kingly, knightly, lace-curtain, ladylike, laird, landgrave, lord, lordling, magnate, magnifico, margrave, marquis, noble, nobleman, of gentle blood, of rank, optimate, palsgrave, peer, princelike, princely, queenlike, queenly, quite the lady, seigneur, seignior, silk-stocking, squire, swell, thoroughbred, titled, upper-cruster, viscount, waldgrave
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