consort

[ noun kon-sawrt, verb kuh n-sawrt ]

/ noun ˈkɒn sɔrt, verb kənˈsɔrt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR consort ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a husband or wife; spouse, especially of a reigning monarch.Compare prince consort, queen consort.

one vessel or ship accompanying another.

Music.

a group of instrumentalists and singers who perform music, especially old music.
a group of instruments of the same family, as viols, played in concert.

a companion, associate, or partner: a confidant and consort of heads of state.

accord or agreement.

Obsolete.

company or association.
harmony of sounds.

verb (used without object)

to associate; keep company: to consort with known criminals.

to agree or harmonize.

verb (used with object)

to associate, join, or unite.

Obsolete.

to accompany; espouse.
to sound in harmony.

Nearby words

Origin of consort

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French < Latin consort- (stem of consors) sharer, orig. sharing (adj.). See con-, sort

Related formscon·sort·a·ble, adjectivecon·sort·er, nouncon·sor·tion, nounnon·con·sort·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for consort

It was designed, with help from an architect and builder, by her consort Prince Albert.
Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle|Clive Irving|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once in her stride, she turned her Moomin books into masterpieces of word in consort with image.
Tove Jansson, Queen of the Moomins|John Garth|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jan continued to come and go as he pleased at FOB Delhi, free to carry weapons and to consort with his “tea boys.”
Why Was Firefighter-Marine Reserve Maj. Jason Brezler Betrayed?|Michael Daly|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Put simply, the 91-year-old consort of the monarch is not looking well.
Coronation Celebrations Underway in Sunny London|Tom Sykes|June 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Like his Swedish counterpart, he is said to have a roving eye, which has not gone down well with Sofia, his Greek-born consort.
The Seven Craziest Royal Families from "King's Speech" Writer's New Book, "How Monarchy Made It Into the 21st Century"|Tom Sykes|June 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Court was pure; the persons of the Sovereign and her Consort profoundly respected.
The Greville Memoirs (Second Part)|Charles C. F. Greville
The Hartford and her consort alone reached this final trial, and were by it nearly involved in the common disaster.
The Gulf and Inland Waters|A. T. Mahan
Truly she would then in all reason be falsely called Justice, were she to consort with a man all-daring in his soul.
Prometheus Bound and Seven Against Thebes|Aeschylus
Why have we no picture of the Sovereign and her august consort from Smee's brush?
The Newcomes|William Makepeace Thackeray
Of Tammuz, the popular myth related that it was Ishtar, represented as his consort, who carried him off.
The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria|Morris Jastrow

British Dictionary definitions for consort

consort

verb (kənˈsɔːt)

(intr usually foll by with) to keep company (with undesirable people); associate

(intr) to agree or harmonize

(tr) rare to combine or unite

noun (ˈkɒnsɔːt)

(esp formerly)

a small group of instruments, either of the same type, such as viols, (a whole consort) or of different types (a broken consort)
(as modifier)consort music

the husband or wife of a reigning monarch

a partner or companion, esp a husband or wife

a ship that escorts another

obsolete

companionship or association
agreement or accord

Derived Formsconsortable, adjectiveconsorter, noun

Word Origin for consort

C15: from Old French, from Latin consors sharer, partner, from sors lot, fate, portion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for consort (1 of 2)

consort

early 15c., "partner," from Middle French consort "colleague, partner, wife" (14c., Old French consorte), from Latin consortem (nominative consors) "partner, comrade; wife, brother, sister," noun use of adjective meaning "having the same lot, of the same fortune," from com- "with" (see com-) + sors "a share, lot" (see sort (n.)). Sense of "husband or wife" ("partner in marriage") is 1630s in English.

Word Origin and History for consort (1 of 2)

consort

1580s, from consort (n.). Related: Consorted; consorting. Confused in form and sense with concert since 1580s.

consort

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

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Nearby words

Origin of consort

Examples from the Web for consort

British Dictionary definitions for consort

consort

verb (kənˈsɔːt)

noun (ˈkɒnsɔːt)

Word Origin for consort

Word Origin and History for consort (1 of 2)

consort

Word Origin and History for consort (1 of 2)

consort