buddy

B1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ˈbʌd.i/ UK /ˈbʌd.i/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like body /ʌ/ vs /ɑ/

Freq #811

Meanings

1

noun
A friend

They have been buddies since they were at school.
2

noun
A friendly way of addressing a man you do not know

Hey, buddy, I think you dropped this.
3

noun
A person you do an activity with

We became gym buddies and worked out together every morning.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a friend chum mate

2 noun · a friendly way of... mate

3 noun · a person you do an activity... companion partner

Word family

Forms buddiedbuddiesbuddying

Related forms bud

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

buddy system
an arrangement in which people are paired to help or watch out for each other

Noun + noun

Etymology

First appears c. 1788, in the writings of Charles Dibdin, of uncertain origin. Possibly from *bruddy, *bruthy, a child-talk alteration of brother. Alternatively, perhaps from British colloquial butty (“companion”), also the form of an older dialect term meaning workmate, associated with coal mining. Itself believed derived from 1530 as booty fellow, a partner with whom one shares booty or loot. Alternatively, compare Scots buddo, bodda (“buddy, kiddo, dear”), related to Icelandic budda (“purse"; also "short, stout person”).

buddo sco

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# buddy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbʌd.i/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbʌd.i/
**Frequency rank:** 811

## Meanings
1. A friend
2. A friendly way of addressing a man you do not know
3. A person you do an activity with

## Examples
- They have been buddies since they were at school.
- Hey, buddy, I think you dropped this.
- We became gym buddies and worked out together every morning.

## Related Forms
- bud

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: buddo

## Etymology
First appears c. 1788, in the writings of Charles Dibdin, of uncertain origin. Possibly from *bruddy, *bruthy, a child-talk alteration of brother. Alternatively, perhaps from British colloquial butty (“companion”), also the form of an older dialect term meaning workmate, associated with coal mining. Itself believed derived from 1530 as booty fellow, a partner with whom one shares booty or loot. Alternatively, compare Scots buddo, bodda (“buddy, kiddo, dear”), related to Icelandic budda (“purse"; also "short, stout person”).

## AI Etymology
Buddy first appears c. 1788, in the writings of Charles Dibdin, of uncertain origin. Possibly from *bruddy, *bruthy, a child-talk alteration of brother. Alternatively, perhaps from British colloquial butty (“companion”), also the form of an older dialect term meaning workmate, associated with coal mining. Itself believed derived from 1530 as booty fellow, a partner with whom one shares booty or loot. Alternatively, compare Scots buddo, bodda (“buddy, kiddo, dear”), related to Icelandic budda (“purse"; also "short, stout person”).

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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