Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FA-MIL'IAR, a. [famil'yar; L. familiaris; Fr. familier; Sp. familiar; from L. familia, family, which see.]

1. Pertaining to a family; domestic. Pope.
2. Accustomed by frequent converse; well acquainted with; intimate; close; as, a familiar friend or companion.
3. Affable; not formal or distant; easy in conversation. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Shak.
4. Well acquainted with; knowing by frequent use. Be familiar with the Scriptures.
5. Well known; learnt or well understood by frequent use. Let the Scriptures be familiar to us.
6. Unceremonious; free; unconstrained; easy. The emperor conversed with the gentleman in the most familiar manner.
7. Common; frequent and intimate. By familiar intercourse, strong attachments are soon formed.
8. Easy; unconstrained; not formal. His letters are written in a familiar style. He sports in loose familiar strains. Addison.
9. Intimate in an unlawful degree. A poor man found a priest familiar with his wife. Camden.