friend

friend  (frnd)

n.

1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement: friends of the clean air movement.

5. Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker.

tr.v. friend·ed, friend·ing, friends Archaic

To befriend.

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[Middle English, from Old English frond; see pr- in Indo-European roots.]

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friendless adj.

friendless·ness n.

Word History: A friend is a lover, literally. The relationship between Latin amcus "friend" and am "I love" is clear, as is the relationship between Greek philos "friend" and phile "I love." In English, though, we have to go back a millennium before we see the verb related to friend. At that time, frond, the Old English word for "friend," was simply the present participle of the verb fron, "to love." The Germanic root behind this verb is *fr-, which meant "to like, love, be friendly to." Closely linked to these concepts is that of "peace," and in fact Germanic made a noun from this root, *frithu-, meaning exactly that. Ultimately descended from this noun are the personal names Frederick, "peaceful ruler," and Siegfried, "victory peace." The root also shows up in the name of the Germanic deity Frigg, the goddess of love, who lives on today in the word Friday, "day of Frigg," from an ancient translation of Latin Veneris dis, "day of Venus."

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friend

Noun

1. a person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty

2. an ally in a fight or cause

3. a patron or supporter: our cause has many influential friends throughout Europe

4. make friends (with) to become friendly (with) [Old English frēond]

friendless adj
friendship n

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Friend

Noun

a member of the Society of Friends; Quaker

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	friend - a person you know well and regard with affection and trust; "he was my best friend at the university" individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" alter ego - a very close and trusted friend who seems almost a part of yourself amigo - a friend or comrade best friend - the one friend who is closest to you comrade, brother - used as a term of address for those male persons engaged in the same movement; "Greetings, comrade!" buddy, chum, crony, pal, sidekick, brother - a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities companion, comrade, familiar, fellow, associate - a friend who is frequently in the company of another; "drinking companions"; "comrades in arms" confidant, intimate - someone to whom private matters are confided flatmate - an associate who shares an apartment with you girlfriend - any female friend; "Mary and her girlfriend organized the party" light - a person regarded very fondly; "the light of my life" mate - informal term for a friend of the same sex roomie, roommate, roomy - an associate who shares a room with you schoolfriend - a friend who attends the same school
	2.	friend - an associate who provides cooperation or assistance; "he's a good ally in fight" ally associate - a person who joins with others in some activity or endeavor; "he had to consult his associate before continuing" blood brother - a male sworn (usually by a ceremony involving the mingling of blood) to treat another as his brother foe, enemy - a personal enemy; "they had been political foes for years"
	3.	friend - a person with whom you are acquainted; "I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances"; "we are friends of the family" acquaintance individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" bunkmate - someone who occupies the same sleeping quarters as yourself campmate - someone who lives in the same camp you do connection - (usually plural) a person who is influential and to whom you are connected in some way (as by family or friendship); "he has powerful connections" end man - a man at one end of a row of people homeboy - a male friend from your neighborhood or hometown messmate - (nautical) an associate with whom you share meals in the same mess (as on a ship) pickup - a casual acquaintance; often made in hope of sexual relationships class fellow, classmate, schoolfellow, schoolmate - an acquaintance that you go to school with
	4.	friend - a person who backs a politician or a team etc.; "all their supporters came out for the game"; "they are friends of the library" admirer, booster, protagonist, supporter, champion advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent - a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea anglophil, anglophile - an admirer of England and things English believer, truster - a supporter who accepts something as true Boswell - a devoted admirer and recorder of another's words and deeds cheerleader - an enthusiastic and vocal supporter; "he has become a cheerleader for therapeutic cloning" Confederate - a supporter of the Confederate States of America corporatist - a supporter of corporatism enthusiast, partizan, partisan - an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity Francophil, Francophile - an admirer of France and everything French free trader - an advocate of unrestricted international trade functionalist - an adherent of functionalism Jacobite - a supporter of James II after he was overthrown or a supporter of the Stuarts loyalist, stalwart - a person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt) New Dealer - a supporter of the economic policies in the United States known as the New Deal Graecophile, philhellene, philhellenist - an admirer of Greece and everything Greek mainstay, pillar - a prominent supporter; "he is a pillar of the community" Roundhead - a supporter of parliament and Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War seconder - someone who endorses a motion or petition as a necessary preliminary to a discussion or vote Shavian - an admirer of G. B. Shaw or his works endorser, indorser, ratifier, subscriber - someone who expresses strong approval well-wisher, sympathiser, sympathizer - someone who shares your feelings or opinions and hopes that you will be successful toaster, wassailer - someone who proposes a toast; someone who drinks to the health of success of someone or some venture maintainer, sustainer, upholder - someone who upholds or maintains; "firm upholders of tradition"; "they are sustainers of the idea of democracy" verifier, voucher - someone who vouches for another or for the correctness of a statement Whig - a supporter of the American Revolution
	5.	Friend - a member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers) Quaker Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, Society of Friends - a Christian sect founded by George Fox about 1660; commonly called Quakers Christian - a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination

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friend

noun 1. companion, pal, mate (informal) buddy (informal) partner, china Brit., S. African (informal) familiar, best friend, intimate, cock Brit. (informal) close friend, comrade, chum (informal) crony, alter ego, confidant, playmate, confidante, main man (slang), chiefly U.S. soul mate, homeboy (slang), chiefly U.S. cobber Austral., N.Z. E hoa N.Z. (old-fashioned), (informal) bosom friend, boon companion, Achates << OPPOSITE foe

noun 2. supporter, ally, associate, sponsor, advocate, patron, backer, partisan, protagonist, benefactor, adherent, well-wisher

Translations

friend [frɛnd] n → amigo/a

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friend [frɛnd] n → ami(e);

to make friends with → se lier (d'amitié) avec

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friend [frɛnd] n → Freund(in) m(f);

(less intimate) → Bekannte(r) f(m);

to make friends with → sich anfreunden mit

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friend [frɛnd] n → amico/a;

to make friends with → fare amicizia con