# friend

Pronunciation: say "FREND" /fɹɛnd/

## Noun

1. A person whose company you enjoy and for whom you feel affection, usually someone who is not a relative or romantic partner.
   - Simple: Someone you like and enjoy spending time with, usually not a family member or romantic partner.
   - _He has been my closest friend since we were children._
   - _They became good friends after working together for years._
2. A person who supports or helps someone or something, such as a backer of a cause or institution, or a patron.
   - Simple: A person who supports or helps a person, a group or an idea.
   - _He was a steadfast friend of the environmental movement._
   - _The charity relies on friends who give regularly._
3. Someone added to a user's contacts on a social networking site, whether or not the two know each other well.
   - Simple: A person you are connected to on a social media site, even if you don't know them well.
   - _I added her as a friend after we met at the conference._
   - _She has nearly a thousand friends on the site but talks to only a handful of them._
4. Used when speaking or writing warmly or politely to a person or to a group, such as an audience or readers.
   - Simple: Used as a kind or polite way to speak to a person or a group, like an audience.
   - _Dear friends, I am writing this week with some good news._
   - _Thanks for stopping to help, friend. I really appreciate it._
5. A person one knows only slightly or indirectly.
   - Simple: Someone you know only a little or through other people.
   - _He was introduced as a friend, though they had met only once._
   - _He's just a friend from the gym; we nod hello but have never had a real conversation._
7. A discreet, indirect way of referring to a lover or romantic partner, such as a boyfriend or girlfriend.
   - Simple: A polite, indirect way to talk about a boyfriend, girlfriend, or lover.
   - _She moved in with her friend after a year of dating._
   - _His friend stayed over most weekends, and they were clearly in love._
8. A group of associated individuals considered together, especially the cast, company, band, or crew of a production, usually following a lead name as 'and friends.'
   - Simple: A group of people who work or perform together, often named after their leader as 'and friends.'
   - _The late set was billed simply as the house bandleader and friends, and nobody knew who would actually show up to play._
   - _Each episode opens with the host and friends gathered around the campfire._
9. An object or idea that can be used to one's benefit. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A thing or idea that helps you or does you good.
   - _On a long hike, a sturdy pair of boots is your best friend._
   - _When you're editing a long report, the search function is your friend._
10. Used as a form of address when warning or cautioning someone, frequently with an ironic or hostile edge. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A word used to address someone when warning them, often when you are not truly friendly.
   - _I'd watch your step, friend, if I were you._
   - _You're in the wrong neighborhood, friend._
13. A Quaker: a person who belongs to the Christian movement called the Religious Society of Friends. Written with a capital F.
   - Simple: Someone who is a Quaker, part of a Christian group called the Religious Society of Friends. Spelled with a capital F.
   - _As a Friend, he would not swear an oath in court and chose to affirm instead._
   - _The Friends at the meetinghouse waited in silence until one of them rose to speak._
14. A person, group, or nation that takes one's side as an ally, not as an enemy or opponent.
   - Simple: A person, group, or country that is on your side and not against you.
   - _In the fog, the lookout could not tell whether the approaching ship was friend or foe._
   - _The new trade deal reassured the island nation that it still had a reliable friend across the ocean._

## Verb

6. To add a person to your list of friends on a social networking site.
   - Simple: To add someone to your list of contacts on a social media site.
   - _Several strangers tried to friend her after the post went viral._
   - _He friended everyone from his old job within a week._

## Verb

11. To act as a friend to someone; to befriend, help, or be friendly toward them. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To act as a friend to someone, helping or supporting them.

## Noun

12. A relative; a person related by blood or marriage. *(obsolete, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A relative, or a member of your family by blood or marriage.

## Other meanings

- (noun) In object-oriented programming, a function or class granted access to the private and protected members of another class.
- (noun) In rock climbing, a spring-loaded camming device used to anchor into a crack in the rock.

## Origin

Old English frēond meant "friend," but literally "loving one, lover." It became Middle English frend and goes back through Proto-Germanic *frijōndz ("lover, friend") to the Proto-Indo-European root *preyH- ("to love"). In form it is roughly free plus -nd, and its relatives include Dutch vriend, German Freund, and Swedish frände.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/friend (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).