FRIEND


Meaning of FRIEND in English

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.

|

She’s going to Palm Springs with some friends.

|

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.

|

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.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.