ally
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: ăl'ī
enpr: əlī'
ipa: /ˈæl.aɪ/
ipa: /əˈlaɪ/
ipa: /ˈæl.aɪ/
ipa: /əˈlaɪ/
rhymes: (one pronunciation) -aɪ
Forms: form: allies
form: allying
form: allied
form: allied
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: ally
form: ally
form: allied
form: ally
form: allyest
form: allied
form: allies
form: allyeth
form: allied
form: ally
form: allied
form: ally
form: allied
form: ally
form: -
form: allying
form: allied
Etymology: From Middle English allien, alien (“to form an alliance, associate, join; to become an ally; to introduce (someone) as an ally; to marry; to become related (to someone); to attack, engage in combat; to combine; (cooking) to combine ingredients, especially to bind them together”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier [and other forms], and Old French alier (“to join together, unite; to alloy (metals); (cooking) to combine ingredients”) (modern French allier), from Latin alligāre, the present active infinitive of alligō, adligō (“to bind around, to, or up (something), bandage, fasten, fetter, tie; to hold fast; to detain, hinder”), from al-, ad- (intensifying prefix) + ligō (“to bind, tie; to bandage, wrap around; to unite”) (from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind, tie”)). Doublet of allay, alligate, alloy, and ligament.
Senses: examples: text: Theſe three did loue each other dearely well, / And with ſo firme affection were allyde, / As if but one ſoule in them all did dvvell, / VVhich did her povvre into three parts diuyde; […]
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 43, page 33:
text: [W]hen hee's remou'd, your Highneſſe / VVill take againe your Queene, as yours at firſt, / Euen for your Sonnes ſake, and thereby for ſealing / The Iniurie of Tongues, in Courts and Kingdomes / Knovvne, and ally'd to yours.
ref: c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 280, column 2:
text: That this coniunction doth not ioyne the ſubſtances, but vniteth the affections, and allyeth the wils.
ref: 1612, Pierre Du Moulin, “That as Well the Carnall Presence of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist: As also Transubstantiation was Not Belieued in the Former Ages of the Christian Church”, in Edward Skipwith, transl., An Apology for the Holy Supper of the Lord: […], London: […] [[w:Thomas Snodham|T[homas] S[nodham]] and W. Hall] for Nathaniell Butter, […], →OCLC, page 50:
text: Solomon preferreth her [Pharaoh's daughter] before the reſt of his vvives, for they vvere of Nations that vvere his Subjects, but ſhe the daughter of an intire King, and by this match he allieth that potent King to him, and ſecureth himſelf the better abroad; […]
ref: 1634, John Lightfoot, “A Chronicle of the Times, and the Order of the Texts of the Old Testament. [The First Book of Kings.]”, in George Bright, editor, The Works of the Reverend and Learned John Lightfoot D.D. […], London: […] W[illiam] R[awlins] for Robert Scot […], Thomas Basset […], Richard Chiswell […], and John Wright […], →OCLC, page 73:
text: And novv the VVarriors paſſing on the vvay, / The graceful Paris firſt excus'd his Stay. / To vvhom the noble Hector thus reply'd: / O Chief! in Blood, and novv in Arms, ally'd! / Thy povv'r in VVar vvith Juſtice none conteſt; / Knovvn is thy Courage, and thy Strength confeſt.
ref: 1716, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book VI”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, pages 147–148, lines 664–669:
text: She died; and her place was supplied by a German princess nearly allied to the Imperial House.
ref: 1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, →OCLC, page 103:
glosses: To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
examples: text: Yes in good ſooth, the vice is of a great kindred; it is vvell allied, but it is impoſſible to extirpe it quite, Frier, till eating and drinking be put dovvne.
ref: c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 73, column 2:
text: Great VVits are ſure to Madneſs near alli'd; / And thin Partitions do their Bounds divide: […]
ref: 1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem. […], 3rd edition, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], published 1682, →OCLC, page 5:
text: Thus Nature gives us (let it check our Pride) / The virtue neareſt to our Vice ally'd; / Reaſon the Byas turns to Good from Ill, / And Nero reigns a Titus, if he vvill.
ref: 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle II, London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC, page 13:
glosses: Chiefly followed by to or with: to connect or form a relation to (someone or something) by similarity in features or nature.
examples: text: To be ſhort, hauing thus ingrafted them into the body of his [God's] Sonne, he ioyneth and allieth him ſelfe to them, he maketh him ſelfe one with them, maketh them his children and heyres, partakers of his immortalitie and glorie, and all this he worketh by the inward vertue of his holy Ghost, […]
ref: 1577, Peter de la Place [i.e. Pierre de la Place], “Of the Excellencie of a Christian Man, and the Way to Knowe Him”, in L[aurence] Tomson, transl., A Treatise of the Excellencie of a Christian Man, and Howe He may be Knowen. […], London: […] Christopher Barkar, […], →OCLC:
text: [W]e have ſo many of our firſt Titled Families vvho have ally'd themſelves to Trade, (vvhoſe Inducements vvere Money only) that it ceaſes to be either a VVonder as to the Fact, or a Diſgrace to the Honour.
ref: 1742, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXIX”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], volume III, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; and sold by C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 172:
text: And do we upbraid thee [rain], in our heartless stupidity, because, rather than withhold thy life-giving dispensations, thou allyest thy gentle nature with thy opposites, and comest in unwelcome company—in chilly league with Eurus, or riding on the stormy wings of night-confounding Aquilo— […]
ref: 1841, W[illia]m H. Simmons, “Rain. A Colloquial Lecture.”, in [George Stillman Hillard], editor, The Boston Book. Being Specimens of Metropolitan Literature, Boston, Mass.: George W. Light, […], →OCLC, page 306:
text: [George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax] had seen that the settlement of the government could be effected on Whig principles only, and who had therefore, for the time, allied himself closely with the Whigs.
ref: 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter X, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 626:
text: A wise damsel walketh up and down discreetly in the world, minding her affairs: she regardeth not the pleading of vain lovers, but taketh counsel with her friends and allieth herself at last to one of true worth. Then she giveth up her whole heart to the service of her husband, and receiveth from him again his love and strong help and the flower of his estate beyond calcuation or desire.
ref: 1861, [T. John Vickers], “The Book of Counsels”, in The New Koran of the Pacifican Friendhood: or Text-book of Turkish Reformers, in the Teaching and Example of Their Esteemed Master Jaido Morata, London: George Mainwaring, […], →OCLC, chapter XXIX, verses 24–25, page 375, column 1:
text: Poor Poverty! […] Well art thou in the right when thou alliest thyself to Vice and Crime.
ref: 1887, Heinrich Heine, “English Fragments. London.”, in Mr. Leland, transl., edited by Havelock Ellis, The Prose Writings of Heinrich Heine: […] (The Camelot Series), London: Walter Scott […], →OCLC, page 51:
glosses: To join or unite (oneself or itself) against, with, etc., someone or something else.
examples: text: [A]ftervvards he [Constantine the Great] allied vvith Licinius, and gave him his Siſter in marriage, and acknovvledged him his Colleague in the Empire.
ref: 1673, Gilbert Burnet, “The First Conference”, in A Vindication of the Authority, Constitution, and Laws of the Church and State of Scotland. […], Glasgow: Robert Sanders, […], →OCLC, page 62:
text: Whatever injuries […] the Athenians have done me I forgive. […] If they will ally with me, rebuild the temples I have burnt.
ref: 1837, Edward Lytton Bulwer [i.e., Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter VIII, in Athens: Its Rise and Fall: […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book III (From the Battle of Marathon to the Battles of Platæa and Mycale, B.C. 490 – B.C. 479), page 195:
synonyms: make common cause
glosses: Chiefly followed by with: to enter into an alliance or unite for a common aim.
Derived terms: word: alliable
word: allied
word: allying
word: disally
word: misally
word: re-ally
Related terms: word: alligate
word: alligated
word: alligation
english: one who binds or ties
translation: one who binds or ties
word: alligator