Fellow

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˈfÉ›ləʊ/
• GenAm IPA: /ˈfÉ›loÊŠ/Rhymes: -É›ləʊ

Origin

From Middle English felowe, felawe, felage, from Old Norse félagi ("companion, associate, shareholder, colleague"), from félag ("partnership", literally a laying together of property), from the Germanic bases of two words represented in English by fee and law.

Full definition of fellow

Noun

1. (obsolete) A colleague or partner.
2. (archaic) A companion; a comrade.
• Miltonthe fellows of his crime
• ShakespeareWe are fellows still,
  Serving alike in sorrow.
• GibbonThat enormous engine was flanked by two fellows almost of equal magnitude.
3. A man without good breeding or worth; an ignoble or mean man.
• Alexander PopeWorth makes the man, and want of it, the fellow.
4. An equal in power, rank, character, etc.
• ShakespeareIt is impossible that ever Rome
  Should breed thy fellow.
5. One of a pair, or of two things used together or suited to each other; a mate.
• HollandWhen they be but heifers of one year, ... they are let go to the fellow and breed.
• ShakespeareThis was my glove; here is the fellow of it.
6. (colloquial) A male person; a man.
• 1910, Saki, ‘The Strategist’, Reginald in Russia:‘There'll be about ten girls,’ speculated Rollo, as he drove to the function, ‘and I suppose four fellows, unless the Wrotsleys bring their cousin, which Heaven forbid.’
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 7, “A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. …”
7. (rare) A person; an individual, male or female.
• Charles DickensShe seemed to be a good sort of fellow.
8. In the English universities, a scholar who is appointed to a foundation called a fellowship, which gives a title to certain perquisites and privileges.
9. In an American college or university, a member of the corporation which manages its business interests; also, a graduate appointed to a fellowship, who receives the income of the foundation.
10. A member of a literary or scientific society; as, a Fellow of the Royal Society.
11. The most senior rank or title one can achieve on a technical career in certain companies (though some fellows also hold business titles such as vice president or chief technology officer). This is typically found in large corporations in research and development-intensive industries (IBM or Sun Microsystems in information technology, and Boston Scientific in Medical Devices for example). They appoint a small number of senior scientists and engineers as Fellows.
12. In the US and Canada, a physician who is undergoing a supervised, sub-specialty medical training (fellowship) after completing a specialty training program (residency).

Usage notes

In North America, fellow is generally only used as an academic or medical title or membership, and is dated and quite rare when referring to a man in general.

Synonyms

Derived terms

• bedfellow
• fella
• fellow feeling
• fellowship
• good fellow/goodfellow
• hail-fellow-well-met
• poor fellow
• schoolfellow

• fellow-citizen
• fellow-countrymen
• fellow-passenger
• fellow-soldier
• fellow-student
• fellow-worker as they are all catered for by the entry for fellow-

Adjective

1. Having common characteristics; being of the same kind, or in the same group

Verb

1. To suit with; to pair with; to match.