patron saint vs saint

patron saint and saint both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
patron saint	Yes	No	No	No
saint	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, saint is a hypernym of patron saint; that is, saint is a word with a broader meaning than patron saint:

patron saint: a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation
saint: a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

Other hypernyms of patron saint include defender, guardian, protector, shielder.

patron saint (noun)	saint (noun)
a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation	person of exceptional holiness
	model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
	a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

patron saint (verb)	saint (verb)
	declare (a dead person) to be a saint
	hold sacred