From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpatronesspa‧tron‧ess /ˈpeɪtrənəs/ noun [countable] a woman who supports the activities of a person or organization, by giving money or using their name in advertising → patron
Examples from the Corpus
patroness• She was reckless enough to challenge the goddess Athene, patroness of those crafts, to a contest of skill.• In early religion she was worshipped as the patroness of marriage, her fecundity being petitioned with gifts of fruit and seeds.• As the patroness of young women, philosophers and scholars, Catherine symbolizes that highest feminine quality, wisdom.• Odile is the patroness of the knights who sought the Grail.• Originally thought to have a beneficial effect on flocks, Hecate was once the patroness of herdsmen.• Through the vicissitudes of life in a frontier province, Our Lady of Sion has remained the tutelary patroness of Lorraine.• No high-born dames, no wealthy patroness for Miss Theodosia Kyte! 