patrician
UK/pә'triʃәn/US
GREB1
Definitions
n.
A member of the noble or aristocratic class, especially in ancient Rome.
（尤指古罗马的）贵族。
adj.
Aristocratic in birth, manner, or bearing.
贵族的；有贵族气派的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpatr (father) + -ician = literally "of the fathers." In ancient Rome the patricii were descendants of the founding fathers (the patres, senators), the original noble class — opposite the common plebeians. The sense of inherited nobility survives in describing someone refined and aristocratic.
Root patr still carries 26 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.patrician family贵族家庭
- 2.patrician class贵族阶级
- 3.patrician manner贵族气派
Example Sentences
- 1.
In Rome, only patricians could hold the highest offices at first.
- 2.
He had a patrician air, calm and faintly superior.