crony
A close friendA close friend.
» The minister appointed one of his cronies to a key position.
Der Minister berief einen seiner Kumpane in eine Schlüsselposition.
Der Minister setzte einen seiner Amigos in eine Schlüsselposition ein.
Meaning
3 senses(informal)A close friend.
Freund, Kumpan
ко́решkóreš
a close friend who accompanies their buddies in their activities
(informal)A trusted companion or partner in a criminal organization.
(obsolete)An old woman; a crone.
Examples
3 sentencesThe minister appointed one of his cronies to a key position.
deDer Minister berief einen seiner Kumpane in eine Schlüsselposition.
Tom is a crony capitalist.
Barry and Prue would have given him almost anything they had, for he was a great friend and crony of theirs.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Coined between 1655 and 1665 from Ancient Greek χρόνιος (khrónios, “perennial, long-lastinCoined between 1655 and 1665 from Ancient Greek χρόνιος (khrónios, “perennial, long-lasting”); see also chrono- (“time”). Initially Cambridge University slang, in sense of “chum”, as “friend of long standing”, with illegal connotation later. Early spellings included chrony, as in 1665 diary by Samuel Pepys, supporting the Greek origin.
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