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familiar

 - 6 dictionary results

fa⋅mil⋅iar

  [fuh-mil-yer]
Use familiar in a Sentence
–adjective
1. commonly or generally known or seen: a familiar sight.
2. well-acquainted; thoroughly conversant: to be familiar with a subject.
3. informal; easygoing; unceremonious; unconstrained: to write in a familiar style.
4. closely intimate or personal: a familiar friend; to be on familiar terms.
5. unduly intimate; too personal; taking liberties; presuming: The duchess disliked familiar servants.
6. domesticated; tame.
7. of or pertaining to a family or household.
–noun
8. a familiar friend or associate.
9. Witchcraft and Demonology.
a. an animal, as a cat, that embodies a supernatural spirit and aids a witch in performing magic.
b. familiar spirit.
10. Roman Catholic Church.
a. an officer of the Inquisition, employed to arrest accused or suspected persons.
b. a person who belongs to the household of the pope or of a bishop, rendering domestic though not menial service.
Origin:
1300–50; ME < L familiāris of a household (see family, -ar 1 ); r. ME famulier < MF < L, as above

Related forms:
fa⋅mil⋅iar⋅ly, adverb
fa⋅mil⋅iar⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
4. Familiar, confidential, intimate suggest a long association between persons. Familiar means well-acquainted with another person: a familiar friend. Confidential suggests a sense of mutual trust that extends to the sharing of confidences and secrets: a confidential adviser. Intimate suggests close acquaintance or connection, often based on interest, sympathy, or affection: intimate and affectionate letters. 5. forward, bold.

familiar spirit

 
–noun
a supernatural spirit or demon supposed to attend on or serve a person.
Also called familiar.

Origin:
1555–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To familiar
fa·mil·iar   (fə-mĭl'yər)   
adj.  

  1. Often encountered or seen. See Synonyms at common.

  2. Having fair knowledge; acquainted: was familiar with those roads.

  3. Of established friendship; intimate: on familiar terms.

  4. Natural and unstudied; informal: lectured in a familiar style.

  5. Taking undue liberties; presumptuous: Students should not be familiar toward an instructor.

  6. Familial.

  7. Domesticated; tame. Used of animals.

n.  

  1. A close friend or associate.

  2. An attendant spirit, often taking animal form.

  3. One who performs domestic service in the household of a high official.

  4. A person who frequents a place.


[Middle English, from Old French familier, from Latin familiāris, domestic, from familia, family; see family.]
fa·mil'iar·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

familiar  (adj.)
c.1340, "intimate, very friendly," from O.Fr. familier, from L. familiaris "domestic." The sense gradually broadened. Of things, 1490. The noun meaning "demon, evil spirit that answers one's call" is from 1584.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

familiar

see have a familiar ring.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

familiar

in Western demonology, small animal or imp kept as a witch's attendant, given to her by the devil or inherited from another witch. The familiar was a low-ranking demon that assumed any animal shape, such as a toad, dog, insect, or black cat. Sometimes the familiar was described as a grotesque creature of fantasy, an amalgam of several creatures.

Learn more about familiar with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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