fellow

[fel-oh]

noun

1. a man or boy.

   a fine old fellow; a nice little fellow.

2. Informal.,  beau; suitor.

   Mary had her fellow over to meet her folks.

3. Informal.,  person; one.

   They don't treat a fellow very well here.

4. a person of small worth or no esteem.

5. a companion; comrade; associate.

   They have been fellows since childhood.

6. a person belonging to the same rank or class; equal; peer.

   The doctor conferred with his fellows.

7. one of a pair; mate; match.

   a shoe without its fellow.

8. Education.

   1. a graduate student of a university or college to whom an allowance is granted for special study.

   2. British.,  an incorporated member of a college, entitled to certain privileges.

   3. a member of the corporation or board of trustees of certain universities or colleges.

9. a member of any of certain learned societies.

   a fellow of the British Academy.

10. Obsolete.,  a partner.

verb (used with object)

1. to make or represent as equal with another.

2. Archaic.,  to produce a fellow to; match.

adjective

1. belonging to the same class or group; united by the same occupation, interests, etc.; being in the same condition.

   fellow students; fellow sufferers.

fellow

¹

/ ˈfɛləʊ /

noun

1. a man or boy

2. an informal word for boyfriend

3. informal,  one or oneself

   a fellow has to eat

4. a person considered to be of little importance or worth

5. 1. (often plural) a companion; comrade; associate

   2. ( as modifier )

      fellow travellers

6. (at Oxford and Cambridge universities) a member of the governing body of a college, who is usually a member of the teaching staff

7. a member of the governing body or established teaching staff at any of various universities or colleges

8. a postgraduate student employed, esp for a fixed period, to undertake research and, often, to do some teaching

9. 1. a person in the same group, class, or condition

      the surgeon asked his fellows

   2. ( as modifier )

      fellow students

      a fellow sufferer

10. one of a pair; counterpart; mate

    looking for the glove's fellow

Fellow

²

/ ˈfɛləʊ /

noun

1. a member of any of various learned societies

   Fellow of the British Academy

Word History and Origins

Origin of fellow¹

before 1050; Middle English felowe, felawe, late Old English fēolaga < Old Norse fēlagi partner in a joint undertaking, equivalent to fē money, property (cognate with Old English feoh, German Vieh ) + -lagi bedfellow, comrade; akin to lair ¹, lie ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of fellow¹

Old English fēolaga , from Old Norse fēlagi , one who lays down money, from fē money + lag a laying down

Idioms and Phrases

see regular guy (fellow); strange bedfellows.

Example Sentences

From his initial interviews with reporters to his conversations with fellow fighters, Mark is kind and collected, an all-around good guy whose amiable manner belies his capacity for violence.

From Salon

Then a fellow would-be resident got in touch, saying: "I've dug a little bit further. Get out."

From BBC

A few minutes after Mr Butler got out of the water, fellow surfer Mercury Psillakis was killed by a great white shark.

From BBC

More than 40 fellow Italians are still in custody.

From BBC

The alleged misconduct began in September 2024, when Tabet and her fellow board members voted to approve a contract with Specialized Support Services to complete a two-year backlog of meeting minutes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boy 
• chap 
• dude 
• guy 
• lad 
• man