ally
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: ăl'ī
enpr: əlī'
ipa: /ˈæl.aɪ/
ipa: /əˈlaɪ/
ipa: /ˈæl.aɪ/
ipa: /əˈlaɪ/
rhymes: (one pronunciation) -aɪ
Forms: form: allies
Etymology: From Middle English allie, alie [and other forms], probably partly:
* from allien (verb): see etymology 1; and
* from Anglo-Norman allié, alié, alyé, allyé, Middle French allié, alié, allyé (“associate, supporter; friend; relative; person, state, etc., associated or united with another by alliance or treaty”), and Old French alliiet (“military or political ally”) (modern French allié), a noun use of the past participle of Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier, and Old French alier (verb): see etymology 1.
Senses: examples: text: [N]o attempt is made to call in God to their reſcue, as if he vvere an idle unconcern'd ſpectator of humane affairs, or ſo inconſiderable an ally, as not to be vvorth the care of engaging him on their ſide.
ref: 1660, [Richard Allestree], “Sect[ion] V. Of the Second Advantage, Wealth.”, in The Gentlemans Calling, London: […] T[imothy] Garthwait […], →OCLC, page 83:
text: The rights of the ſeven Electors were ſupported by all the deſcendants and allies of their powerful families, who ſhared in the ſplendor and influence, which they enjoyed by this diſtinguiſhing privilege.
ref: 1769, William Robertson, “Proofs and Illustrations. Note XLI. Sect. III. p. 186.”, in The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. […], volume I, London: […] W. and W. Strahan, for W[illiam] Strahan, T[homas] Cadell, […]; and J. Balfour, […], →OCLC, page 381:
text: […] Christy and his trusty ally, the one armed with a fowling piece, the other with an ancient blunderbuss, turned out as sentries to keep watch over this donjon keep.
ref: 1822 May 21, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Culprit”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 197:
text: He became the ally of a boy named Aubrey Mills and founded with him a gang of adventurers in the avenue.
ref: 1916 December 29, James Joyce, chapter II, in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC, page 68:
glosses: A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.
examples: text: I’m glad you want to be a better ally to the disabled.
glosses: A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.
A person who, or organization which, supports a demographic group subject to discrimination and/or misrepresentation but is not a member of the group; specifically (LGBTQ), a person who is not a member of the LGBT+ community but is supportive of it.
examples: text: The two countries were allies in World War I.
text: To be ſo ſcornefull to your alye⸝ / Your counſeyle was not worth a flye.
ref: [1513], John Skelton, A Ballade of the Scottysshe Kynge, [London: Richard Fawkes], →OCLC; reprinted London: Elliot Stock, […], 1882, →OCLC, page [94]:
text: If thou deſire to make vvarre vvith a Prince, vvith vvhom thou haſt formerly ratified a league; aſſaile ſome Ally of his, rather then himſelfe: […] his infidelity in not aſſiſting his Ally, vvill be diſcovered: Hereby thou ſhalt gaine thy ſelfe advantage, and facilitate thy deſignes.
ref: 1640, Fra[ncis] Quarles, “[The First Century.] Chapter IX.”, in Enchiridion: Containing Institutions, Divine, Contemplative, Practical. Moral, Ethical, Oeconomicall, Politicall, London: […] R. F., published 1644, →OCLC, 1st book:
text: During some days indeed there was great reason to fear that the enemy would be entertained with a bloody fight between the English soldiers and their French allies.
ref: 1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XIV, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume III, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 427:
text: Even before she begs Jon to keep his identity a secret, she reeks of desperation; in order to gain an ally that isn’t already in her entourage, she sets Gendry Baratheon né Rivers up in Storm’s End.
ref: 2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are Waged On and Off the Game Of Thrones Battlefield (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2021:
glosses: A person, group, state, etc., which is associated or united by treaty with another for a common (especially military or political) purpose; a confederate.
examples: text: the pretty Pansy then Ile tye / Like Stones some Chaine inchasing, / And next to them their neere Alye, / The purple Violet placing.
ref: 1630, Michael Drayton, “[The Muses Elizium.] The Fift Nimphall.”, in Cyril Brett, editor, Minor Poems of Michael Drayton, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, published 1907, →OCLC, page 198, lines 113–115:
text: The Aleptick art, and, its neereſt ally, Medicine, are deſign'd for the cure of bodies, reducing the faculties to the beſt harmony; […]
ref: 1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[Timæus the Locrian. Of the Soul of the World, and of Nature.]”, in The History of Philosophy, the Third and Last Volume, […], volume III, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 1st part (Containing the Italick Sects), pages 134–135:
text: The frozen Earth lies buried there, belovv / A hilly heap, ſev'n Cubits deep in Snovv: / And all the VVeſt Allies of ſtormy Boreas blovv.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 112, lines 547–549:
text: And novv from the Head and Mouth, paſs vve to it's near Allie the Stomach, another no leſs notable than uſeful Part; […]
ref: 1713, W[illiam] Derham, “[A Survey of the Particular Tribes of Animals.] Of the Head, Stomach, and Other Parts of Birds.”, in Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC, book VII (A Survey of Birds), page 384:
glosses: Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.
examples: text: The order of Gruiformes includes cranes and their allies.
text: Procyonids (raccoons and their allies), a group of North American origin, are first recorded in South America in a level immediately below a unit dated at 6.0 million years.
ref: 1979, Larry G. Marshall et al., “Calibration of the Great American Interchange: A radioisotope chronology for Late Tertiary interchange of terrestrial faunas between the Americas.”, in Science, volume 204, number 4390, →DOI, pages 272–279:
topics: biology
natural-sciences
taxonomy
glosses: Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.
An organism which is related to another organism through common evolutionary origin; specifically, a species which is closely related to another species, usually within the same family.
examples: text: [S]cience, instead of being the enemy of religion, becomes its ally.
ref: 1861, Henry Thomas Buckle, “An Examination of the Scotch Intellect during the Eighteenth Century”, in History of Civilization in England, volume II, London: Parker, Son, and Bourn, […], →OCLC, page 596:
glosses: A person, group, concept, etc., which is associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary; a supporter.
examples: text: This Gentleman the Princes neere Alie. / My very frend hath tane this mortall vvound / In my behalfe, […]
ref: c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Juliet. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, published 1597, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
text: Finally there was a quiet wedding at the Towers, […] The Sellerses were to go to England with their new allies for a brief visit, but when it was time to take the train from Washington, the colonel was missing.
ref: 1892, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XXV, in The American Claimant, New York, N.Y.: Charles L[uther] Webster & Co., →OCLC, page 269:
glosses: A kinsman or kinswoman; a relative.
Derived terms: Allies
ally cookie
allyhood
allyless
allyship
coally
fern ally
nonally
Related terms: alliance