/ ˈkrəʊni; NAmE ˈkroʊni/ noun
[ usually pl. ] ( pl. -ies ) (often disapproving ) a person that sb spends a lot of time with :
He was playing cards with his cronies.
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent. (originally Cambridge university slang): from Greek khronios long-lasting (here used to mean contemporary ), from khronos time. Compare with chum .