Word of the Day

: September 5, 2006

confrere

noun KAHN-frair

What It Means

: colleague, comrade

confrere in Context

Although Sam is a gifted poet in his own right, he's most often recognized as the confrere of a much more famous author.

Did You Know?

"Confrere" arrived in English from Anglo-French in the 15th century, and ultimately derives from the Medieval Latin "confrater," meaning "brother" or "fellow." ("Frater," the root of this term, shares an ancient ancestor with our word "brother.") English speakers also began using another descendant of "confrater" in the 15th century: "confraternity," meaning "a society devoted to a religious or charitable cause." In the past, "confrere" was often used specifically of a fellow member of a confraternity, but these days it is used more generally.