I. friend 1 S1 W1 /frend/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ friend , ↑ friendliness , ↑ friendship , ↑ friendly ; adjective : ↑ friendly ≠ ↑ unfriendly , ↑ friendless ; verb : ↑ befriend ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: freond ]
1 . PERSON YOU LIKE someone who you know and like very much and enjoy spending time with:
Jerry, this is my friend Sue.
She’s always out with her friends.
One of her closest friends died at the weekend.
I met Jim through a friend.
2 . be friends (with somebody) to be someone’s friend:
I’ve been friends with the Murkets for twenty years.
3 .
a) make friends to become friendly with people:
Jenny has always found it easy to make friends at school.
b) make friends with somebody to become friendly with someone:
He made friends with an old fisherman.
4 . be just (good) friends used to say that you are not having a romantic relationship with someone:
I’m not going out with Nathan – we’re just good friends.
5 . SUPPORTER someone who supports an organization such as a theatre, ↑ art gallery , ↑ charity etc by giving money or help
friend of
the Friends of the Tate
6 . NOT AN ENEMY someone who has the same beliefs, wants to achieve the same things etc as you, and will support you:
our friends and allies around the world
She shot him a quick glance as if unsure whether he was friend or foe.
Don’t worry, you’re among friends.
7 . someone who has created a link with you on a ↑ social networking site on the Internet, by visiting your ↑ webpage and clicking on it:
She has thousands of friends on MySpace.
8 . PARLIAMENT/COURT OF LAW British English
a) my honourable friend used by a member of parliament when speaking about another member of parliament
b) my learned friend used by a lawyer when speaking about another lawyer in a court of law
9 . be no friend of something to not like or be a supporter of something:
I’m no friend of socialism, as you know.
10 . Friend a member of the Society of Friends SYN Quaker
11 . our/your friend spoken used humorously to talk about someone you do not know, who is doing something annoying:
Our friend with the loud voice is back.
12 . have friends in high places to know important people who can help you
13 . a friend in need someone who helps you when you need it
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + friend
▪ sb’s best friend (=the friend you like the most)
Fiona was her best friend.
▪ a good/close friend (=one of the friends you like the most)
She’s a good friend of mine.
▪ a dear friend (=a friend who is very important to you)
I’d like you to meet a dear friend of mine.
▪ an old friend (=someone who has been your friend for a long time)
We went to see some old friends who had moved to Harlow.
▪ a lifelong friend (=someone who has been your friend for the whole of your life)
The two men were lifelong friends.
▪ a childhood friend (=someone who was your friend when you were a child)
She had been a childhood friend of Tony Walker.
▪ a school friend
I met some old school friends for lunch.
▪ a family friend
He’s visiting family friends.
▪ a personal friend
Mr Hutton is a close personal friend of my father.
▪ a mutual friend (=someone who is a friend of both you and someone else)
They went to a mutual friend’s home for dinner.
▪ a firm friend (=a friend you like a lot and intend to keep)
They had remained firm friends ever since they first met.
▪ a trusted friend
She told only a few trusted friends.
▪ male/female friends
Most of my male friends are married now.
■ verbs
▪ have a friend
Suzie has plenty of friends.
▪ become friends
Liz and Vanessa soon became friends.
▪ remain friends
We have all remained friends despite some difficult times.
■ phrases
▪ a friend of mine/yours/Bill’s etc
A friend of mine is going to Tokyo next week.
▪ a friend of a friend
I managed to get tickets from a friend of a friend.
▪ sb’s circle of friends (=all the friends somebody has)
Her small circle of friends used to play cards together.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ friend someone who you know and like very much and enjoy spending time with:
Dad, this is my friend Steve.
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She’s going to Palm Springs with some friends.
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I got a letter from a friend from college.
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Amy’s a close friend of mine.
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John was a really good friend to me when I had all those problems last year.
▪ acquaintance /əˈkweɪnt ə ns/ someone who you know and see sometimes, but who is not one of your close friends:
We borrowed the money from one of Paul’s business acquaintances.
▪ mate British English informal a friend – used especially about boys or men:
He always goes to the pub with his mates on Friday night.
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Terry’s an old mate of mine.
▪ buddy American English informal a friend – used especially about men or young people:
He’s out playing basketball with some of his high school buddies.
▪ pal informal a friend – pal sounds rather old-fashioned:
They met at school and have remained close pals.
▪ crony [usually plural] disapproving a friend – used about powerful people who will help each other even if it is slightly dishonest:
He’s one of the President’s cronies.
▪ companion written someone who spends time with you, doing the same things as you – used about animals as well as people:
travelling companions
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His dog was his constant companion.
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the perfect companion
▪ the girls informal a woman’s female friends:
We’re having a girls’ night out.
▪ the lads British English informal a man’s male friends:
a night out with the lads
II. friend 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to add someone to your list of friends on a ↑ social networking site :
I never friend someone I haven’t met in real life.