noun

backfriend

back·friend

backfriend · backfriends

Synonym of hangnailSynonym of hangnail (“a loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding from the side edge and anchored near the base of a fingernail or toenail”).

/ˈbækˌfɹɛnd/

Meaning

3 senses

(UK, dialectal)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”).
(UK, archaic, dialectal)A friend who supports someone; a person who has someone's back; a backer, a supporter.
(UK, dialectal, obsolete)A person who pretends to be someone's friend; a false friend, a secret enemy.

Origin

From back (adverb or noun) + friend. Sense 3 (“person who pretends to be someone’s friend”

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.

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