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paisan

paisan

5 9.1
A friend from the same country or background often used by Italian-American communities
  • noun
  • /paɪˈzɑn/
  • Slang
translation icon : paisano
  • Hey, paisan, let's grab some pizza for lunch.
  • Hey, paisan

Any Italians in the House listen this paisan like.

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Examples

Synonyms

amigo
vspaisan
  • Informal
78 7.8

A person you like and trust, often a close friend

focuses on shared country or origin rather than just friendship
compadre
vspaisan
  • Informal
40 7.3

A close friend you trust and spend time with

highlights common national background more than community closeness
paesano
vspaisan
  • Informal
1 9.5

A person from the same town, region or country who is also a friend

is an informal term used by a migrant community to mean a friend
paisano
vspaisan
  • Slang
1 9.3

A friendly, informal word people use for a friend

is used among Italian-Americans to mean someone from the same background

How Close

best friend
940 1.0
pal
  • Informal
1.0
paisan
  • Slang
5 9.1
friend
1.0
acquaintance
114 3.5
stranger
1.0

Surface Forms

paisan singular
paisans plural

Etymology

Paisan comes from the Italian paesano, which comes from paese meaning 'country' or 'village'. So today paisan is a friendly way to call someone from the same place or background, especially among Italian-Americans.