A person attached to the household of a high official (as a pope or bishop) who renders service in return for support.

Roget 979: god, goddess; heathen gods and goddesses; deva^†; Jupiter, Jove &c.; pantheon.    Allah^†, Bathala^†, Brahm^†, Brahma^†, Brahma^†, cloud-compeller, Devi, Durga, Kali, oread^†, the Great Spirit, Ushas; water nymph, wood nymph; Yama, Varuna, Zeus; Vishnu [Hindu deities], Siva, Shiva, Krishna, Juggernath^†, Buddha; Isis [Egyptian deities], Osiris, Ra; Belus, Bel, Baal^†, Asteroth &c.; Thor [Norse deities], Odin; Mumbo Jumbo; good genius, tutelary genius; demiurge, familiar; sibyl; fairy, fay; sylph, sylphid; Ariel^†, peri, nymph, nereid, dryad, seamaid, banshee, benshie^†, Ormuzd; Oberon, Mab, hamadryad^†, naiad, mermaid, kelpie^†, Ondine, nixie, sprite; denizens of the air; pixy etc. (bad spirit) 980.    mythology; heathen-mythology, fairy-mythology; Lempriere, folklore.    ... show more

Roget 980: demon, daemon, demonry^†, demonology; evil genius, fiend, familiar, daeva^†, devil; bad spirit, unclean spirit; cacodemon^†, incubus, Eblis, shaitan^†, succubus, succuba; Frankenstein's monster; Titan, Shedim, Mephistopheles, Asmodeus^†, Moloch, Belial, Ahriman^†; fury, harpy; Friar Rush.    vampire, ghoul; afreet^†, barghest^†, Loki; ogre, ogress; gnome, gin, jinn, imp, deev^†, lamia^†; bogie, bogeyman, bogle^†; nis^†, kobold^†, flibbertigibbet, fairy, brownie, pixy, elf, dwarf, urchin; Puck, Robin Goodfellow; leprechaun, Cluricaune^†, troll, dwerger^†, sprite, ouphe^†, bad fairy, nix, nixie, pigwidgeon^†, will-o'-the wisp.    [Supernatural appearance] ghost, revenant, specter, apparition, spirit, shade, shadow, vision; hobglobin, goblin, orc; wraith, spook, boggart^†, banshee, loup-garou [Fr.], lemures^†; evil eye.    merman, mermaid, merfolk^†; siren; satyr, faun; manito^†, manitou, manitu.    possession, demonic possession, diabolic possession; insanity etc. 503.    [in jest, in science] Maxwell's demon.    [person possessed by a demon] demoniac.    ... show more

Polish: famulus

A friend who is frequently in the company of another.

synonyms: associate, companion, comrade, fellow.

Roget 890: friend, friend of one's bosom; alter ego; best friend, bosom friend, soulmate, fast friend; amicus [Lat.]; usque ad aras [Lat.]; fidus Achates [Lat.]; persona grata.    acquaintance, neighbor, next-door neighbor, casual acquaintance, nodding acquaintance; wellwisher.    favorer, fautor^†, patron, Mecaenas; tutelary saint, good genius, advocate, partisan, sympathizer; ally; friend in need etc. (auxiliary) 711.    comrade, mate, companion, familiar, confrere, comrade, camarade^†, confidante, intimate; old crony, crony; chum; pal; buddy, bosom buddy; playfellow, playmate, childhood friend; bedfellow, bedmate; chamber fellow.    associate, colleague, compeer.    schoolmate, schoolfellow^†; classfellow^†, classman^†, classmate; roommate; fellow-man, stable companion.    best man, maid of honor, matron of honor.    compatriot; fellow countryman, countryman.    shopmate, fellow-worker, shipmate, messmate^†; fellow companion, boon companion, pot companion; copartner, partner, senior partner, junior partner.    Arcades ambo Pylades and Orestes Castor and Arcades ambo Pylades and Orestes Castor and Pollux^†, Nisus and Euryalus [Lat.], Damon and Pythias, par nobile fratrum [Lat.].    host, Amphitryon^†, Boniface; guest, visitor, prot_eg_e.    ... show more

Dutch: gezelschapsdame, kameraad
Polish: kompanion, kompan

A spirit (usually in animal form) that acts as an assistant to a witch or wizard.

synonym: familiar spirit.

Well known or easily recognized.

Roget 892: sociable, companionable, clubbable, conversable^†, cosy, cosey^†, chatty, conversational; homiletical.    convivial; festive, festal; jovial, jolly, hospitable.    welcome, welcome as the roses in May; f=eted, entertained.    free and easy, hall fellow well met, familiar, on visiting terms, acquainted.    social, neighborly; international; gregarious.    ... show more

Roget 894: courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane; well-behaved, well-mannered, well-bred, well-brought up; good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated; refined etc. (taste) 850; gentlemanlike etc. (fashion) 852^†; gallant; on one's good behavior.    fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken; honey-mouthed, honey-tongued; oily, bland; obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent; obsequious etc. 886.    ingratiating, winning; gentle, mild; good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar; neighborly.    diplomatic, tactful, politic; artful etc. 702.    ... show more

Roget 490: knowing etc. v.; cognitive; acroamatic^†.    aware of, cognizant of, conscious of; acquainted with, made acquainted with; privy to, no stranger to; au fait with, au courant; in the secret; up to, alive to; behind the scenes, behind the curtain; let into; apprized of, informed of; undeceived.    proficient with, versed with, read with, forward with, strong with, at home in; conversant with, familiar with.    erudite, instructed, leaned, lettered, educated; well conned, well informed, well read, well grounded, well educated; enlightened, shrewd, savant, blue, bookish, scholastic, solid, profound, deep-read, book-learned; accomplished etc. (skillful) 698; omniscient; self-taught.    known etc. v.; ascertained, well-known, recognized, received, notorious, noted; proverbial; familiar, familiar as household words, familiar to every schoolboy; hackneyed, trite, trivial, commonplace.    cognoscible^†, cognizable.    ... show more

Roget 136: frequent, many times, not rare, thickcoming^†, incessant, perpetual, continual, steady, constant, thick; uniform; repeated etc. 104; customary etc. 613 (habit) 613; regular (normal) 80; according to rule etc. (conformable) 82.    common, everyday, usual, ordinary, familiar.    old-hat, boring, well-known, trivial.    ... show more

Roget 613: habitual; accustomary^†; prescriptive, accustomed etc. v.; of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence; consuetudinary^†; wonted, usual, general, ordinary, common, frequent, everyday, household, garden variety, jog, trot; well-trodden, well-known; familiar, vernacular, trite, commonplace, conventional, regular, set, stock, established, stereotyped; prevailing, prevalent; current, received, acknowledged, recognized, accredited; of course, admitted, understood.    conformable.    etc. 82; according to use, according to custom, according to routine; in vogue, in fashion, in, with it; fashionable etc. (genteel) 852.    wont; used to, given to, addicted to, attuned to, habituated etc. v.; in the habit of; habitue; at home in etc. (skillful) 698; seasoned; imbued with; devoted to, wedded to.    hackneyed, fixed, rooted, deep-rooted, ingrafted^†, permanent, inveterate, besetting; naturalized; ingrained etc. (intrinsic) 5.    ... show more

Within normal everyday experience; common and ordinary; not strange.

usually followed by `with' Well informed about or knowing thoroughly:
— Familiar with the complex machinery.
— He was familiar with those roads.

synonym: conversant.

Having mutual interests or affections; of established friendship:
— On familiar terms.

synonym: intimate.

Roget 888: friendly; amicable, amical^†; well-affected, unhostile^†, neighborly, brotherly, fraternal, sympathetic, harmonious, hearty, cordial, warm-hearted.    friends with, well with, at home with, hand in hand with; on good terms, on friendly terms, on amicable terms, on cordial terms, on familiar terms, on intimate terms, on good footing; on speaking terms, on visiting terms; in one's good graces, in one's good books.    acquainted, familiar, intimate, thick, hand and glove, hail fellow well met, free and easy; welcome.    ... show more