Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
A friend who supports someone; a person who has someone's back; a backer, a supporter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic, dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Synonym of hangnail (“a loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding from the side edge and anchored near the base of a fingernail or toenail”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: hangnail
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A person who pretends to be someone's friend; a false friend, a secret enemy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: nonfriend, unfriend
History
From back (adverb or noun) + friend. Sense 3 (“person who pretends to be someone’s friend”) may allude to a person who stays back instead of coming forward to help, and so is not a true friend.
Across languages
1 source translations are retained for this English entry.
