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One who encourages or helps a person, a cause, or a work; a furtherer; a promoter; as, a patron of art.

A female patron or helper. Spenser. Night, best patroness of grief. Milton.

upeds. It connects the back of the skull with dorsal spines of the cervical vertebræ, and helps to support the head. Called also paxywaxy and packwax.

A charm worn as a protection against disease or mischief; an amulet. Coleridge. Now help, ye charming spells and periapts. Shak.

Of or pertaining to philanthropy; characterized by philanthropy; loving or helping mankind; as, a philanthropic enterprise. -- Phil`an*throp"ic*al*ly, adv.

o use or exercise. -- To hold in play, to keep occupied or employed. I, with two more to help me, Will hold the foe in play. Macaulay.

urslane, and many others. -- Pot hunter, one who kills anything and everything that will help to fill has bag; also, a hunter who shoots game for the table or for the market. -- Pot metal. (a) The metal from which iron pots are made, different from common pig iron. (b) An alloy of copper with lead used for making lar…

g; as, to pray a soul out of purgatory. Milman. To pray in aid. (Law) (a) To call in as a helper one who has an interest in the cause. Bacon. (b) A phrase often used to signify claiming the benefit of an argument. See under Aid. Mozley & W.

fluence, or authority; prevailing; as, a predominant color; predominant excellence. Those help . . . were predominant in the king's mind. Bacon. Foul subordination is predominant. Shak.

defer; to postpone; to delay; as, to procrastinate repentance. Dr. H. More. Hopeless and helpless Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his lifeless end. Shak.

To be of service to; to be good to; to help on; to benefit; to advantage; to avail; to aid; as, truth profits all men. The word preached did not profit them. Heb. iv. 2. It is a great means of profiting yourself, to copy diligently excellent pieces and beautiful designs. Dryden.

Yielding or bringing profit or gain; gainful; lucrative; useful; helpful; advantageous; beneficial; as, a profitable trade; profitable business; a profitable study or profession. What was so profitable to the empire became fatal to the emperor. Arbuthnot. -- Prof"it*a*ble*ness, n. -- Prof"it*a*bly, adv.…

Hence, kind; gracious; merciful; helpful; -- said of a person or a divinity. Milton. And now t' assuage the force of this new flame, And make thee [Love] more propitious in my need. Spenser.

Tending to prosperity; favoring; favorable; helpful.

To bring forth whelps or young, as the female of the canine species.

The young of a canine animal, esp. of the common dog; a whelp.

That which makes, or helps to make, anything such as it is; anything belonging to a subject, or predicable of it; distinguishing property, characteristic, or attribute; peculiar power, capacity, or virtue; distinctive trait; as, the tones of a flute differ from those of a violin in quality; the great quality of a state…

A crying for help. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Specifically, the operation or work of setting up the frame of a building; as, to help at a raising. [U.S.]

The getting, or gaining, of something not previously had. [Obs.] "Help be past recovery." Tusser.