3.RRCa bishop of the Orthodox Christian churches who is very high in rank 牧首〔东正教的最高级主教〕
Examples from the Corpus
patriarch• It was called not by a pope, nor even a patriarch, but by the Empress Irene.• He is its founder, leader and patriarch.• The 1994 deal with Prince Waleed came a year after the death of family patriarch Mel Swig.• In 1905 he was made the first patriarch templar.• Wherever the Lutheran patriarch went, he ran into the problem of disorders.• Perversely, Tess adores this faintly sinisterpatriarch, and hopes to wheedle her way into his affections.• He replaced Vazgen I, who died in August 1994 after nearly four decades as supremepatriarch.
Originpatriarch
(1100-1200)Old Frenchpatriarche, from Late Latin, from Greek, from patria“family” + -arches“ruler”