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Close in friendship or acquaintance; familiar; confidential; as, an intimate friend.

Intimate; closely familiar. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

An intimate or familiar friend or acquaintance. [Obs.] "I was an inward of his." Shak.

Intimacy; familiarity. [Obs.] Shak.

A familiar nickname of, or substitute for, John. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby. Shak.

A familiar or pet form of the proper name Jane.

A familiar diminutive of John.

A young person or youth; -- used sportively or familiarly. C. Bronté.

To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an author; to know the rules of an organization. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. 2 Cor. v. 21. Not to know me argues yourselves unknown. Milton.…

act or state of knowing; clear perception of fact, truth, or duty; certain apprehension; familiar cognizance; cognition. Knowledge, which is the highest degree of the speculative faculties, consists in the perception of the truth of affirmative or negative propositions. Locke.

ect; especially, a formal or methodical discourse, intended for instruction; sometimes, a familiar discourse, in contrast with a sermon.

Mother; -- word of tenderness and familiarity. [Written also mama.] Tell tales papa and mamma. Swift.

A term of familiar address often implying on the part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or haste; as, Come, man, we 've no time to lose !

t. (i) The owner of a docile brute, -- especially a dog or horse. (j) The controller of a familiar spirit or other supernatural being.

personal experience and memory; an account of transactions or events (usually written in familiar style) as they are remembered by the writer. See History, 2.

rals from land. -- Mineral salt (Chem.), a salt of a mineral acid. -- Mineral tallow, a familiar name for hatchettite, from its fatty or spermaceti-like appearance. -- Mineral water. See under Water. -- Mineral wax. See Ozocerite. -- Mineral wool, a fibrous wool-like material, made by blowing a powerful jet of air…

common; trite; commonplace. [Obs.] We have our philosophical persons, to make modern and familiar, things supernatural and causeless. Shak. Modern English. See the Note under English.

Observing the proprieties of the sex; not unwomanly in act or bearing; free from undue familiarity, indecency, or lewdness; decent in speech and demeanor; -- said of a woman. Mrs. Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife. Shak. The blushing beauties of a modest maid. Dryden.

An old woman or matron. [Familiar]

A familiar term of endearment. Shak.