From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhanger-onˌhanger-ˈon noun (plural hangers-on) [countable] SPEND TIMEsomeone who spends a lot of time with a rich or important person, because they hope to get some advantage for themselves He was surrounded by a crowd of friends and hangers-on.
Examples from the Corpus
hanger-on• Go and be a hanger-on at Henry's storehouses, and pick up what grain you can.• He felt like a hanger-on, a toady.• The greater houses still served as general assembly rooms for a host of petitioners, relatives, friends and hangers-on.• Several of Warhol's friends and hangers-on were interviewed for the documentary.• The Tiller fame and fortune had also become an attraction for hangers-on to members of his family.• Soon the twins and their brunettes and various glamorous hangers-on were all stripped off round the pool.• Before our journey we had discussed whether the court and its hangers-on would be there.• He made friends easily though he occasionally collected the odd hanger-on who I felt sure was only waiting for a Sheikhly hand-out. 