Etymology
From the Middle English ally, through the Old French alle (allied) from alier, which comes from the Latin alligare meaning to bind together.
Noun
allies
Plural of "ally"
- 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.
- I’m glad you want to be a better ally to the disabled.
- A person, group, state, etc., which is associated or united by treaty with another for a common (especially military or political) purpose; a confederate.
- The two countries were allies in World War I.
- Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.
- (taxonomy) 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.
- The order of Gruiformes includes cranes and their allies.
Verb
allies
Third-person singular of "ally" (third-person singular simple present "allies," present participle "allying," simple past and past participle "allied")
- (transitive)
- To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
- Chiefly followed by to or with: to connect or form a relation to (someone or something) by similarity in features or nature.
- (reflexive) To join or unite (oneself or itself) against, with, etc., someone or something else.
- (intransitive) Chiefly followed by with: to enter into an alliance or unite for a common aim.
Usage notes
- The Allies (capitalized) often refers to the countries allied against the Nazi axis alliance during World War II, including France, Russia, Britain, and the US.
Credits
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