ally

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an associate who provides cooperation or assistance

   he's a good ally in fight

2. 2
   verb

   to become an ally or associate, as by a treaty or marriage

   I allied myself with them for protection.

3. 3
   verb

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

   Theſe three did loue each other dearely well, / And with ſo firme affection were allyde, / As if but one ſoule in them all did dvvell, / VVhich did her povvre into three parts diuyde; […]

4. 4
   verb

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

   Yes in good ſooth, the vice is of a great kindred; it is vvell allied, but it is impoſſible to extirpe it quite, Frier, till eating and drinking be put dovvne.

5. 5
   verb

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

   To be ſhort, hauing thus ingrafted them into the body of his [God's] Sonne, he ioyneth and allieth him ſelfe to them, he maketh him ſelfe one with them, maketh them his children and heyres, partakers of his immortalitie and glorie, and all this he worketh by the inward vertue of his holy Ghost, […]

6. 6
   verb

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

   [A]ftervvards he [Constantine the Great] allied vvith Licinius, and gave him his Siſter in marriage, and acknovvledged him his Colleague in the Empire.

7. 7
   noun

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

   [N]o attempt is made to call in God to their reſcue, as if he vvere an idle unconcern'd ſpectator of humane affairs, or ſo inconſiderable an ally, as not to be vvorth the care of engaging him on their ſide.

8. 8
   noun

   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.

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 u…