Bosom Friend
Preserved but no longer current.
A very dear friend. Nathan says, "It lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter" (2 Sam. xii, 3). Bosom friend, ami de coeur. St. John is represented in the New Testament as the "bosom fnend" of Jesus.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Bosom Friend” mean?
A very dear friend. Nathan says, "It lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter" (2 Sam. xii, 3). Bosom friend, ami de coeur. St. John is represented in the New Testament as the "bosom fnend" of Jesus.
Is “Bosom Friend” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.