Plural of boyfriend; male romantic partners or male friends in a romantic relationship with someone.
Compound word combining 'boy' (from Old English 'boy,' of uncertain origin, appearing around the 13th century) and 'friend' (from Old English 'freond,' related to the verb 'to free'). The word 'boyfriend' emerged in the early 20th century as American slang for a male romantic partner.
The word 'boyfriend' is actually quite young—it wasn't common until the 1920s! Before that, people used terms like 'beau' or 'suitor.' This shows how language evolves with culture: the casual 'boyfriend' reflects how dating itself became more casual and dating culture became normal.
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