pateroon patron [< Cdn Fpatron(ne) < F "captain of a coastal vessel"] Fur Trade, Obs. DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
1 n.
a commander; boss.
2 n.
in the canoes and boats of the fur brigades, the foreman of a crew, usually the most skilled boatman and the highest paid.
See also: steersman