pal vs friend

pal and friend both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
pal	Yes	No	Yes	No
friend	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, friend is a hypernym of pal; that is, friend is a word with a broader meaning than pal:

pal (noun)	friend (noun)
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities	a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
	a person with whom you are acquainted
	an associate who provides cooperation or assistance
	a person who backs a politician or a team etc.

pal (verb)	friend (verb)
become friends; act friendly towards