girlfriendn.
/ˈɡəːlfrɛnd/, U.S. /ˈɡərlˌfrɛnd/ 1. A female friend; esp. a woman's close female friend.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > friend > female friend
amiec1400
friendessa1425
amiga1843
girlfriend1859
gal pal1934
1859 Harper's Mag. Aug. 337/1 A demure little widow, much more gay and girlish than any of her girl-friends when she chose to forsake her rôle.
1896 Westm. Gaz. 19 May 4/2 The ‘Wedding March’ was whistled by twelve girl-friends of the bride.
1907 A. Woollcott Let. 22 June (1946) 11 My best girl friend is the daughter of the big Grace Church in Utica.
1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 1 Apr. 8/3 Miss Helen MacDonald..invited a number of her girl friends to meet her house guest, Miss Helen Whiteside.
1967 ‘W. Wright’ Shadows don't Bleed i. 20 A girl friend of Bridget's who owns a hobby shop here in town.
2005 Voice 4 July (24 Seven Suppl.) 9/4 In a remote mountain range six girlfriends meet for their yearly adventure, a caving trip into the arteries of the earth.
2. A female with whom a person has a romantic or sexual relationship; a female partner or lover.Used of a female member of an unmarried couple, in some contexts esp. a young couple whose relationship is conducted on a relatively casual basis.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > a lover > [noun] > one who is loved or a sweetheart > specifically a female sweetheart or girlfriend
lief971
ladya1393
ladyshipa1393
speciala1400
amiec1400
womanc1400
amoreta1425
mistressc1425
paramoura1450
fair ladya1470
girl?a1513
sooterkin1530
Tib1533
she1547
lady-love1568
jug1569
young lady1584
pigeon1592
love-lass1594
lass1596
dowsabel1612
swainling1615
lucky1629
Dulcinea1638
Lindabrides1640
inamorata1651
baby1684
best girl1691
lady friend1733
young woman1822
moll1823
querida1834
sheila1839
bint1855
tart1864
babykins1870
Dona1874
novia1874
fancy-girl1892
girlfriend1892
cliner1895
tootsy1895
dinah1898
best1904
twist and twirl1905
jane1906
kitten1908
patootie1918
meisie1919
bride1924
gf1925
jelly1931
sort1933
a bit (also piece) of homework1945
beast1946
queen1955
momma1964
mi'jita1970
her indoors1979
girlf1991
1892 F. J. Furnivall Hoccleve's Minor Poems Ded. p. iv To the memory of Teena Rochfort Smith my much-respected and deeply-regretted girl-friend.
1928 R. Macaulay Keeping up Appearances xi. 118 Daphne seems quite to have become Raymond's girl friend again.
1945 K. Tynan Let. 10 May (1994) i. 72 Geoff Darby, his girlfriend, myself and Joy had a select binge, which did no harm to anyone and pleased us all immensely.
1962 ‘C. E. Maine’ Darkest of Nights v. 67 Mom made up her mind to tolerate his girl friends years ago.
1987 Daily Tel. 3 Sept. 14/8 He is survived by his girlfriend and their adult son.
2000 N.Y. Mag. 6 Nov. 54/1 ‘This place is definitely less cruisy,’ she says, ignoring the dreadlocked woman..making eyes at her and her girlfriend from across the bar.
2001 Daily Tel. 4 Jan. 3/1 A pensioner literally saw red when his 79-year-old girl-friend cancelled their wedding for a third time.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1859