The Collaborative International Dictionary
Friend \Friend\ (fr[e^]nd), n. [OR. frend, freond, AS. fre['o]nd, prop. p. pr. of fre['o]n, fre['o]gan, to love; akin to D. vriend friend, OS. friund friend, friohan to love, OHG. friunt friend, G. freund, Icel. fr[ae]ndi kinsman, Sw. fr["a]nde. Goth. frij[=o]nds friend, frij[=o]n to love.
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One who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society and welfare; a wellwisher; an intimate associate; sometimes, an attendant.
Want gives to know the flatterer from the friend.
--Dryden.A friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
--Prov. xviii. 24. -
One not inimical or hostile; one not a foe or enemy; also, one of the same nation, party, kin, etc., whose friendly feelings may be assumed. The word is some times used as a term of friendly address.
Friend, how camest thou in hither?
--Matt. xxii. 12. One who looks propitiously on a cause, an institution, a project, and the like; a favorer; a promoter; as, a friend to commerce, to poetry, to an institution.
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One of a religious sect characterized by disuse of outward rites and an ordained ministry, by simplicity of dress and speech, and esp. by opposition to war and a desire to live at peace with all men. They are popularly called Quakers.
America was first visited by Friends in 1656.
--T. Chase. -
A paramour of either sex. [Obs.]
--Shak.A friend at court or A friend in court, one disposed to act as a friend in a place of special opportunity or influence.
To be friends with, to have friendly relations with. ``He's . . . friends with C[ae]sar.''
--Shak.To make friends with, to become reconciled to or on friendly terms with. ``Having now made friends with the Athenians.''
--Jowett (Thucyd.).
Usage examples of "to be friends with".
Mira, away from the social climbers at the Academy, turned out to be a warm, enthusiastic girl, willing to be friends with anyone.
Nadhari is such a sweet, gentle girl, how do you suppose she got to be friends with a professional fighter?
This pleased Malacar, who decided, She hates all the people she has known so much that it is probably easier for her to be friends with an alien.
The worst of it is Mum is awfully pleased that my stepfather's got this Cecil boy for me to be friends with.
Some of the people there I would later get to be friends with (not Mary Fangold, though), such as Hal Kissorian, Youssef Choihosla, Belle Rivers, funny Crispin Barcunda - oh, and many others.
And if one couldn't find someone to lovesociety being what it was, a woman of Elizabeth's position had little choice except to marrythe best compromise was to find someone it was possible to be friends with.
Actually, I didn't know Professor Falkenberg very well, I used to be friends with his son.