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ally

/ˈæl.aɪ/
verbnoun

To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.

  2. Chiefly followed by to or with: to connect or form a relation to (someone or something) by similarity in features or nature.

  3. To join or unite (oneself or itself) against, with, etc., someone or something else.

  4. Chiefly followed by with: to enter into an alliance or unite for a common aim.

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.

  2. 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.”

  3. Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.

  4. A person, group, concept, etc., which is associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary; a supporter.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English allien, alien (“to form an alliance, associate, join; to become an ally; to introduce (someone) as an ally; to marry; to become related (to someone); to attack, engage in combat; to combine; (cooking) to combine ingredients, especially to bind them together”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier [and other forms], and Old French alier (“to join together, unite; to alloy (metals); (cooking) to combine ingredients”) (modern French allier), from Latin alligāre, the present active infinitive of alligō, adligō (“to bind around, to, or up (something), bandage, fasten, fetter, tie; to hold fast; to detain, hinder”), from al-, ad- (intensifying prefix) + ligō (“to bind, tie; to bandage, wrap around; to unite”) (from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind, tie”)).

ALLY at a glance

ALLY has 4 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (A 1 + L 1 + L 1 + Y 4) and 8 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,924 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.

Rhymes with ally

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • ABLY9
  • ALLS4
  • ILLY7
  • ALAY7
  • ALKY11
  • AGLY8

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