familiar

a. [ OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See Family. ] 1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. “Familiar feuds.” Byron.
Syn. -- familial. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible. “In loose, familiar strains.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a familiar illustration. [ 1913 Webster ]

That war, or peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is nothing more familiar than this. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Improperly acquainted; wrongly intimate. Camden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Familiar spirit, a demon or evil spirit supposed to attend at call. 1 Sam. xxviii. 3, 7-9. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An intimate; a companion. [ 1913 Webster ]

All my familiars watched for my halting. Jer. xx. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An attendant demon or evil spirit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Court of Inquisition) A confidential officer employed in the service of the tribunal, especially in apprehending and imprisoning the accused. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. to make familiar or acquainted; same as familiarize. [ chiefly Brit. ]
Syn. -- familiarize, acquaint. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Familiarities [ OE. familarite, F. familiaritéfr. L. faniliaritas. See Familiar. ] 1. The state of being familiar; intimate and frequent converse, or association; unconstrained intercourse; freedom from ceremony and constraint; intimacy; as, to live in remarkable familiarity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything said or done by one person to another unceremoniously and without constraint; esp., in the pl., such actions and words as propriety and courtesy do not warrant; liberties.

Syn. -- Acquaintance; fellowship; affability; intimacy. See Acquaintance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or process of making familiar; the result of becoming familiar; as, familiarization with scenes of blood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Familiarized p. pr. & vb. n. Familiarizing ] [ Cf. F. familiariser. ] 1. To make familiar or intimate; to habituate; to accustom; to make well known by practice or converse; as, to familiarize one's self with scenes of distress; we familiarized ourselves with the new surroundings. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make acquainted, or skilled, by practice or study; as, to familiarize one's self with a business, a book, or a science. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having become familiar.
Syn. -- adjusted, acquainted. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adj. serving to familiarize. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adv. In a familiar manner. [ 1913 Webster ]