acquaintance

noun

Etymology: From Middle English aqueyntaunce, from Anglo-Norman aquaintaunce, aqueintance, Old French acointance (“friendship, familiarity”), from Old French acointier (“to acquaint”). Compare French accointance. Morphologically acquaint + -ance.

1. A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship; acquaintanceship.

   “I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.”

   “Contract no friendſhip, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man : he reſembles a coal, which when hot burneth the hand, and when cold blacketh it.”

2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.

   “Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.”

3. Such people collectively; one's circle of acquaintances (with plural concord).

   “Having therefore conſulted with my Wife, and ſome of my Acquaintance, I determined to go again to Sea.”

   “Their mother […] was busy in the mean time in keeping up her connections, as she termed a numerous acquaintance, lest her girls should want a proper introduction into the great world.”

4. Personal knowledge (with a specific subject etc.).

   “The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance.”