friend

Meanings

Noun

• A person, typically someone other than a family member, spouse or lover, whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.
• An associate who provides assistance.
• A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted.
• A person who backs or supports something.
• An object or idea that can be used for good.
• A function or class granted special access to the private and protected members of another class.
• A spring-loaded camming device.
• A lover; a boyfriend or girlfriend.
• A relative, a relation by blood or marriage.

Verb

• To act as a friend to, to befriend; to be friendly to, to help.
• To add (a person) to a list of friends on a social networking site; to officially designate (someone) as a friend.

Related

Similar words

• acquaintance, contact
• ally
• admirer, booster, champion, protagonist, supporter
• buster, mate , pal, buddy, sonny
• befriend

Opposite words

• stranger
• enemy, foe
• defriend, unfriend

Origin

• From Middle English frend, freend, from Old English frēond ("friend, relative, lover"), from Proto-Germanic *frijōndz ("lover, friend"), from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- ("to like, love"), equivalent to free + -and. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Früünd ("friend"), West Frisian freon, froen, freondinne, Dutch vriend ("friend"), Low German Frund, Fründ, Luxembourgish Frënd, German Freund ("friend"), Danish frænde ("kinsman"), Swedish frände ("kinsman, relative"), Icelandic frændi ("kinsman"), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌾𐍉𐌽𐌳𐍃 ("friend"). More at free.