Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

patriarch

pa.tri.arch \'pa--tre--.a:rk\ \.pa--tre--'a:r-k*l\ n [ME patriarche, fr. 
   OF, fr. LL patriarcha, fr. Gk patriarche-]s, fr. patria lineage (fr. patr-, 
   pate-r father) + -arche-s -arch - more at FATHER 1a: one of the scriptural 
   fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people  1b: a man who is father 
   or founder  1c1: the oldest member or representative of a group  1c2: a 
   venerable old man  2a: any of the bishops of the ancient or Eastern 
   Orthodox sees of Constanti nople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem or the 
   ancient and Western see of Rome with authority over other bishops 2b: the 
   head of any of various Eastern churches  2c: a Roman Catholic bishop next 
   in rank to the pope with purely titular or  with metropolitan jurisdiction 
   3: the head of the Sanhedrin  4: a Mormon of the Melchizedek priesthood 
   empowered to perform the ordinanc es of the church and pronounce blessings 
   within a stake or other prescribed jurisdiction - pa.tri.ar.chal aj