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Webster 1913 Edition

crony

cro′ny

(krō′ny̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Cronies
(krō′nĭz)
.
[Orig., an old woman. See
Crone
.]
1.
A crone.
[Obs.]
“Marry not an old crony.”
Burton.
2.
An intimate companion; a familiar friend
.
[Colloq.]
He soon found his former
cronies
, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time.
W. Irving.

Webster 1828 Edition

Crony

CRONY

,
Noun.
[See Crone. But this word seems to carry the sense of fellowship; to join, to associate; whence its derivative, an associate.] An intimate companion; an associate; a familiar friend.
To oblige your crony Swift, bring our dame a new years gift.
Hence, an old crony is an intimate friend of long standing.

Definition 2024

crony

crony

English

Noun

crony ‎(plural cronies)

  1. (informal) Close friend.
    • Washington Irving
      He soon found his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time.
  2. (informal) Trusted companion or partner in a criminal organization.
  3. (obsolete) An old woman; a crone.
    • Burton
      Marry not an old crony.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:friend

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. ↑ “crony” in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Online.
  2. ↑ "Crony" at Dictionary.com
  3. ↑ AskOxford: crony
  4. ↑ Richard Reeves, NS Essay – “Friendship is the invisible thread running through society.” April 19, 2004
  5. ↑ “Cronyism: The New Sleaze.” BBC News. December 23, 1998
  6. 1 2 “The I’s Have It”, William Safire, The New York Times. October 30, 2005
  7. ↑ “That Single Word.” Juan L. Mercado, The Ilocos Times, September 24, 2006

Anagrams

Etymology

Coined between 1655 and 1665 from Ancient Greek χρόνιος ‎(khrónios, “perennial, long-lasting”) (English chrono- ‎(“time”),[1] initially as Cambridge University slang,[2][3][4][5] in sense of “chum”, as “friend of long standing”,[6] with illegal connotation later.[7]

Early spellings included chrony, as in 1665 diary by Samuel Pepys,[6] supporting the Greek origin.

Pronunciation

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