consort

[ noun kon-sawrt, verb kuhn-sawrt ]

noun

1. a husband or wife; spouse, especially of a reigning monarch. Compare prince consort, queen consort.
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. intrusually foll bywith to keep company (with undesirable people); associate
2. intr to agree or harmonize
3. rare.
   tr to combine or unite

noun

1. esp formerly
   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

Derived Forms

• conˈsorter, noun
• conˈsortable, adjective

Other Words From

• con·sorta·ble adjective
• con·sorter noun
• con·sortion noun
• noncon·sorting 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

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

And if all of that is also true for a future queen consort, then there’s no hope for the rest of us.

From Salon

Malhan has named these two structures Shakti and Shiva, the latter one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the former a female cosmic force often portrayed as Shiva's consort.

From Science Daily

For a while, the bird’s stench and the flies it attracts are the stuff of comedy, as is Blackthorne’s complete inability to talk to his consort Lady Fuji about it without Mariko around to translate.

From New York Times