ally

See also Ally, and -ally

English

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

Etymology 1

From Middle English alien, Old French alier (Modern French allier), from Latin alligō (“to bind to”), from ad (“to”) + ligō. Compare alligate, allay, alloy and ligament.

Pronunciation

• enPR: əlī', IPA: /əˈlaɪ/, X-SAMPA: /@"laI/ (verb)
• enPR: ăl'ī, IPA: /ˈæl.aɪ/, X-SAMPA: /"{laI/ (noun)
• Rhymes: -aɪ

Verb

ally (third-person singular simple present allies, present participle allying, simple past and past participle allied)

1. (transitive) To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy
   • (Can we date this quote?) Alexander Pope:

     O chief! in blood, and now in arms allied.

2. (transitive) To connect or form a relation between by similitude, resemblance, friendship, or love.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Edmund Spenser:

     These three did love each other dearly well, And with so firm affection were allied.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Alexander Pope:

     The virtue nearest to our vice allied.

Usage notes

• Generally used in the passive form or reflexively.
• Often followed by to or with.

Synonyms

• make common cause

Translations

to unite by agreement

• Finnish: liittoutua (fi)
• French: allié (fr)
• Latin: socio (la)

• Maori: whakauru (mi)
• Spanish: aliarse (es), unirse en (es)
• Swedish: alliera (sv)

to form a relation on less formal basis

• Finnish: liittää (fi), yhdistää (fi)
• French: allié (fr)

• Swedish: alliera (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Portuguese: aliar
• Slovak: spojiť sa

Noun

ally (plural allies)

1. One united to another by treaty or league; — usually applied to sovereigns or states; a confederate.
   • {{rfdate} Thomas Babington Macaulay:

     The German soldiers and their Russian allies.

2. Anything associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Buckle:

     Science, instead of being the enemy of religion, becomes its ally.

3. Anything akin to another by structure, etc.
4. (taxonomy) A closely related species, usually within the same family.

   • Gruiformes — cranes and allies

Translations

one united to another by treaty or league

• Armenian: դաշնակից (hy) (dašnakic’)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 盟國 (cmn), 盟国 (cmn) (méngguó)

• Czech: spojenec (cs) m
• Dutch: bondgenoot (nl) m, bondgenote (nl) f
• Finnish: liittolainen (fi)
• French: allié (fr) m
• German: Alliierter (de) m, Alliierte (de) f

• Japanese: 同盟国 (ja) (どうめいこく, dōmeikoku)
• Latin: socius (la) m
• Polish: sojusznik (pl) m
• Romanian: aliat (ro) m and n
• Russian: союзник (ru) (sojúznik) m
• Spanish: aliado (es)
• Swedish: allierad (sv)

anything associated with another as a helper

• Armenian: դաշնակից (hy) (dašnakic’)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 盟友 (cmn) (méngyǒu)

• Dutch: bondgenoot (nl) m, bondgenote (nl) f
• Finnish: liittolainen (fi), tukija (fi)

• Ido: helpanto (io)
• Japanese: 味方 (ja) (みかた, mikata)
• Russian: союзник (ru) (sojúznik) m, помощник (ru) (pomóščnik) m
• Swedish: allierad (sv)

anything akin to another by structure, etc

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: съюзник
• Esperanto: aliancano (eo)

• Ancient Greek: σʋμμaχoς
• Portuguese: aliado (pt)
• Slovak: spojenec (sk) m

Related terms

• alliance

Etymology 2

Diminutive of alabaster.

Noun

ally (plural allies)

1. Alternative form of alley. (a glass marble or taw)

References

• ally in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

• y'all, ya'll