This noun means comrade, companion, or friend, often used in classical Greek for fellow soldiers, messmates, or partners. In the New Testament it appears exclusively in Matthew's Gospel as a vocative term of address—Jesus speaking to individuals in parables or real encounters. Notably, while translated 'friend,' the term is more neutral than φίλος, sometimes carrying irony or distance. Jesus uses it three times, in each case addressing someone at a pivotal moment.