consort

[kon-sawrt, kuhn-sawrt]

noun

1. a husband or wife; spouse, especially of a reigning monarch.

2. one vessel or ship accompanying another.

3. Music.

   1. a group of instrumentalists and singers who perform music, especially old music.

   2. a group of instruments of the same family, as viols, played in concert.

4. a companion, associate, or partner.

   a confidant and consort of heads of state.

5. accord or agreement.

6. Obsolete.

   1. company or association.

   2. harmony of sounds.

verb (used without object)

1. to associate; keep company.

   to consort with known criminals.

2. to agree or harmonize.

verb (used with object)

1. to associate, join, or unite.

2. Obsolete.

   1. to accompany; espouse.

   2. to sound in harmony.

consort

verb

1. to keep company (with undesirable people); associate

2. (intr) to agree or harmonize

3. rare,  (tr) to combine or unite

noun

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      consort music

2. the husband or wife of a reigning monarch

3. a partner or companion, esp a husband or wife

4. a ship that escorts another

5. obsolete

   1. companionship or association

   2. agreement or accord

Other Word Forms

• consorter noun
• consortable adjective
• consortion noun
• nonconsorting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of consort¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin consort- (stem of consors ) “sharer,” originally, “sharing” (adjective); con-, sort

Word History and Origins

Origin of consort¹

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

Example Sentences

Chakrasamvara, the blue-man emblem of compassion, is being embraced by his consort, Vajravarahi, bright red symbol of wisdom, in a spectacularly explosive display whose arrested design seems intended as a spur to deep meditation.

From Los Angeles Times

Plenty has been said of the racism in Arizona or among Miami Cubans, but it’s certainly not exclusive to the red hat consort.

From Los Angeles Times

The commission for a formal portrait of Mariana of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor and Spain’s new queen consort, was a very big deal.

From Los Angeles Times

The museum was the pet project of Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who had seen firsthand that British manufactured goods were not always top of the class.

From New York Times

However, even if an early-born squid grew large enough to become a sneaker in the early breeding season, he would postpone maturing and continue growing until he becomes large enough to be a consort.

From Science Daily