- To take acquaintance of
- Acquaintance Ac*quaint"ance, n. [OE. aqueintance, OF.
acointance, fr. acointier. See {Acquaint}.]
1. A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or
more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal
knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of
friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no
acquaintance with him.
[1913 Webster]
Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. --Sir W. Jones. [1913 Webster]
2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted. [1913 Webster]
Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
Note: In this sense the collective term acquaintance was formerly both singular and plural, but it is now commonly singular, and has the regular plural acquaintances. [1913 Webster]
{To be of acquaintance}, to be intimate.
{To take acquaintance of} or {with}, to make the acquaintance of. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
Syn: Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge.
Usage: {Acquaintance}, {Familiarity}, {Intimacy}. These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as, our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, the familiarity of old companions. Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, the intimacy of established friendship. [1913 Webster]
Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds. --Atterbury. [1913 Webster]
It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue. --Rogers. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
