noun
pal
pal
noun
1
A friend; someone you're on close, casual terms with.
"He grabbed a drink with his old college pals."
2
An informal, sometimes sharp or challenging way of addressing someone.
""Watch it, pal," he snapped after being bumped into."
How to Use Pal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA casual word for friend — or, said sharply, a way of putting someone in their place.
When to use it
Very informal; the confrontational sense ("Listen, pal") is common in spoken English but not in formal writing.
Common pairings
old pal
pal around with
pal of mine
Word Forms
palled past tense, pals plural, Pals plural, pals singular
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He grabbed a drink with his old college _____.
Etymology
Borrowed from Angloromani pal ("brother, friend"), from Romani phral, ultimately from the same Sanskrit root as "brother."