Crony

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /ˈkɹoÊŠni/
• RP IPA: /ˈkɹəʊni/
• Rhymes: -əʊni

Origin

Coined between 1655 and 1665 from Ancient Greek χρόνιος (khrónios, "perennial, long-lasting") (English chrono- ("time"),

Merriam Webster Online

initially as Cambridge University slang,

"Crony" at Dictionary.com

AskOxford: crony

Richard Reeves, NS Essay – “Friendship is the invisible thread running through society.” April 19, 2004

“Cronyism: The New Sleaze.” BBC News. December 23, 1998

in sense of “chum”, as “friend of long standing”,

“The I’s Have It”, William Safire, The New York Times. October 30, 2005

with illegal connotation later.

“That Single Word.” Juan L. Mercado, The Ilocos Times, September 24, 2006

Early spellings included chrony, as in 1665 diary by Samuel Pepys,

supporting the Greek origin.

Full definition of crony

Noun

1. (informal) Close friend.
• Washington IrvingHe soon found his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time.
2. (informal) Trusted companion or partner in a criminal organization.
3. (obsolete) An old woman; a crone.
• BurtonMarry not an old crony.

Synonyms

Derived terms

• cronyism

Anagrams

• corny
• croyn