crony
noun /ˈkrəʊni/
/ˈkrəʊni/
[usually plural] (plural cronies)
(informal, often disapproving)- a person that somebody spends a lot of time with
- He was playing cards with his cronies.
Word Originmid 17th cent. (originally Cambridge university slang): from Greek khronios ‘long-lasting’ (here used to mean ‘contemporary’), from khronos ‘time’. Compare with chum.