padrone

noun

pa·​dro·​ne pə-ˈdrō-nē 

plural padrones or padroni pə-ˈdrō-nē 

1

a

: master

b

: an Italian innkeeper

2

: a person who secures employment especially for Italian immigrants

Examples of padrone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, much of this awkward English-language period piece focuses on peasants’ struggle to overthrow padrone control just after the First World War. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

Italian, protector, owner, from Latin patronus patron

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a