Definition of "patronise"

"A chearful glaſs, then," ſaid Sir Sedley, "you think horridly intolerable?" […] "Well, the glaſs is not what I patroniſe," ſaid Sir Theophilus; "it hips me ſo conſumedly the next day; no, I can't patroniſe the glaſs." / "Not patroniſe wine?" cried Lord Newford; "O hang it! O curſe it! that's too bad, Offy! […]"

1796, [Frances Burney], “Traits of Character”, in Camilla: Or, A Picture of Youth. [...] In Five Volumes, volume III, London: Printed for T[homas] Payne, […]; and T[homas] Cadell Jun. and W. Davies (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell) […], pages 368–369

Mr John Puffingham was a patron—a patron to the diversified layers and strata of men and things pertaining to sublunary matters. He patronised his hatter, who, once a year, smoothed a cheap-and-shabby for his bald and shining brow. He patronised his tailor in the neighbourhood of the Minories. He patronised his washerwoman, his dustman—a pawnbroker he once patronised when an unexpected call was made upon his exhausted exchequer.

1844, John Mills, chapter XI, in The English Fireside. A Tale of the Past. [...] In Three Volumes, volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], page 181

"Yes, she was inclined to patronise you, I thought." / "I don't think she meant to patronise me in particular, it's the sort of manner that comes to women when they find themselves married, especially if they have had aspirations after that state for some time. […]"

1851, [Georgiana A. Dalrymple], chapter XVI, in The Livingstones. A Story of Real Life. In Three Volumes, volume II, London: Colburn and Co., publishers […], page 273

In the eveng[sic] a party of Artists at Millers where I met Davis who brought in a little sketch from nature, very beautiful. Miller asked me as a favour to buy it of him, which I could not refuse him although it puts me in the aucward[sic] position of patronising a man whom I think far too well of to attempt the like with – however it is done.

1856 September 27, Ford Madox Brown, edited by Virginia Surtees, The Diary of Ford Madox Brown (Studies in British Art), New Haven, Conn., London: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, published 1981, page 190

In those days, as now, the Royal Naval Colleges as well as Sandhurst were well patronised by the squirearchy and the youths of the blue-blood who found in the training there a congenial calling, when they were not satisfied with military training as a hobby. […] The attraction of military and naval life was enhanced by the fact that the Royal family patronised it.

1920, “From Birth to Parliament”, in Josiah C. Wedgwood: The Man and His Work, Triplicane, Madras, India: S. Ganesan & Co., page 4

[…] although overcrowding on the trains running via London Bridge has occasioned considerable discomfort to regular travellers, it was noticed that the alternative route was not extensively patronised, and that the trains were seldom more than half-filled.

1946 November and December, “Additional London-Dartford Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 386

This line is poorly patronised and the service has been proposed for withdrawal between Shrewsbury and Bewdley and reduction beyond.

1963 January, Jeffrey P. Burke, “Railway crossroads of the north-west: Shrewsbury”, in Modern Railways, page 51

Of course, [Jack] Nicholson patronises him [co-star Morgan Freeman], much as a hare might a tortoise, except that hares can't arch an eyebrow and smirk.

2015, Christopher Tookey, “The Bucket List (2007)”, in Tookey’s Turkeys: The Most Annoying 144 Films from the Last 25 Years, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Matador, page 81

Wolferton was an important station on the Kings Lynn-Hunstanton line, which closed in 1969. As the station was convenient for the Sandringham estate, it was regularly patronised by royalty, and royal retiring rooms were provided.

2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A royal occasion as heritage projects honoured: Wolferton”, in RAIL, number 972, page 61