What does "consort" mean?

Consort: (Naut.) A ship keeping company with another.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Concurrence; conjunction; combination; association; union. "By Heaven's consort." Fuller. "Working in consort." Hare. Take it singly, and is carries an air of levity; but, in consort with the rest, has a meaning quite different. Atterbury.
  2. 3.Etym: [LL. consortium.] An assembly or association of persons; a company; a group; a combination. [Obs.] In one consort there sat Cruel revenge and rancorious despite, Disloyal treason, and heart-burning hate. Spenser. Lord, place me in thy consort. Herbert.
  3. 4.Etym: [Perh. confused with concert.] Harmony of sounds; concert, as of musical instruments. [Obs.] Milton. To make a sad consort`; Come, let us join our mournful song with theirs. Spenser. Prince consort, the husband of a queen regnant. -- Queen consort, the wife of a king, as distinguished from a queen regnant, who rules alone, and a queen dowager, the window of a king.
  4. 5.To unite or to keep company; to associate; -- used with with. Which of the Grecian chiefs consorts with thee Dryden.
  5. 6.To unite or join, as in affection, harmony, company, marriage, etc.; to associate. He with his consorted Eve. Milton. For all that pleasing is to living ears Was there consorted in one harmony. Spenser. He begins to consort himself with men. Locke.
  6. 7.To attend; to accompany. [Obs.] Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, Shalt with him hence. Shak.

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