Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

friend       (frěnd)  Pronunciation Key  n.   A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement: friends of the clean air movement. Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker. tr.v.   friend·ed, friend·ing, friends Archaic To befriend. [Middle English, from Old English frēond; see prī- in Indo-European roots.] friend'less adj., friend'less·ness n. Word History: A friend is a lover, literally. The relationship between Latin amīcus "friend" and amō "I love" is clear, as is the relationship between Greek philos "friend" and phileō "I love." In English, though, we have to go back a millennium before we see the verb related to friend. At that time, frēond, the Old English word for "friend," was simply the present participle of the verb frēon, "to love." The Germanic root behind this verb is *frī-, which meant "to like, love, be friendly to." Closely linked to these concepts is that of "peace," and in fact Germanic made a noun from this root, *frithu-, meaning exactly that. Ultimately descended from this noun are the personal names Frederick, "peaceful ruler," and Siegfried, "victory peace." The root also shows up in the name of the Germanic deity Frigg, the goddess of love, who lives on today in the word Friday, "day of Frigg," from an ancient translation of Latin Veneris diēs, "day of Venus."

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
friend 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

friend
noun
1.	a person you know well and regard with affection and trust; "he was my best friend at the university"
2.	an associate who provides cooperation or assistance; "he's a good ally in fight" [syn: ally] [ant: enemy]
3.	a person with whom you are acquainted; "I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances"; "we are friends of the family" [syn: acquaintance] [ant: alien, stranger]
4.	a person who backs a politician or a team etc.; "all their supporters came out for the game"; "they are friends of the library" [syn: supporter]
5.	a member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers)

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

friend

In addition to the idiom beginning with friend, also see fair-weather friend; make friends.

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

Friend
Relationship between classes in the language C++.

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Friend, KS Zip code(s): 67871

Friend, NE (city, FIPS 17775) Location: 40.65107 N, 97.28405 W
Population (1990): 1111 (483 housing units)
Area: 2.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 68359

Friend, OR Zip code(s): 97021

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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. [root]83. See Free, and cf. Fiend.]

1. One who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society aud 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. A paramour of either sex. [Obs.] --Shak.

A friend at court or 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.).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Friend

Friend\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Friended; p. pr. & vb. n. Friending.] To act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend. [Obs.]

Fortune friends the bold. --Spenser.