— padronism /peuh droh"niz euhm/ , n.
/peuh droh"nee, -nay/ ; It. /pah drddaw"ne/ , n. , pl. padrones /-neez, -nayz/ , It. padroni /-nee/ .
1. a master; boss.
2. an employer, esp. of immigrant laborers, who provides communal housing and eating arrangements, controls the allocation of pay, etc., in a manner that exploits the workers.
3. an innkeeper.
[ 1660-70; ]