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 member of any of various learned societies

   Fellow of the British Academy

fellow

²

/ 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 )

      a fellow sufferer

      fellow students

10. one of a pair; counterpart; mate

    looking for the glove's fellow

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

He applauded his fighter Taylor, who was equally complimentary of her fellow trailblazer.

From BBC

The late Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada rankled some fellow Democrats in 2009 when he said in an interview: “I do not work for Barack Obama. I work with him.”

From Los Angeles Times

There will also be a performance by singer Ella Henderson, while fellow pop star Kylie Minogue has recorded a special message which will be played on the night.

From BBC

Sydney Sweeney’s rep called out Carol Baum for ‘unjustly’ disparaging a fellow female producer after Baum said that Sweeney’s film ‘Anyone But You’ was ‘unwatchable.’

From Los Angeles Times

“To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms. Baum’s character.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boy
• chap
• dude
• guy
• lad
• man