cohort

cohort
\ \ [15] Etymologically, cohort is an ‘enclosed yard’. It comes via Old French cohorte from Latin cohors, a compound noun formed from the prefix com- ‘with’ and an element hortwhich also appears in Latin hortusgarden’ (source of English horticulture) and is related to English garden, yard, and the second element of orchard. From the underlying sense of ‘enclosed place’ it came to be applied to a crowd of people in such a place, and then more specifically to an infantry company in the Roman army. Its meaning has spread figuratively in English to ‘band of associates or accomplices’, whose frequent use in the plural led to the misapprehension that a single cohort was an ‘associate’ or ‘accomplice’ – a usage which emerged in American English in the mid 20th century.
\ \ The original form of the Latin word is well preserved in cohort, but it has also reached us, more thickly disguised, as court.
\ \ Cf.COURT, GARDEN, HORTICULTURE, ORCHARD, YARD

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • cohort — I noun abettor, accessory, accomplice, aider and abettor, ally, assistant, associate, attendant, auxiliary, coadjutor, cohelper, cohors, collaborator, colleague, comate, companion, comrade, confederate, consociate, co operator, coworker, faithful …   Law dictionary

  • cohort — (n.) early 15c., company of soldiers, from M.Fr. cohorte (14c.) and directly from L. cohortem (nom. cohors) enclosure, meaning extended to infantry company in Roman army (a tenth part of a legion) through notion of enclosed group, retinue, from… …   Etymology dictionary

  • cohort — [n] partner in activity accomplice, adherent, aide, ally, assistant, associate, companion, company, comrade, confrere, consociate, contingent, disciple, follower, friend, hand, legion, mate, myrmidon, pal, partisan, regiment, satellite, sidekick …   New thesaurus

  • cohort — ► NOUN 1) an ancient Roman military unit, comprising six centuries and equal to one tenth of a legion. 2) a number of people banded together or treated as a group. 3) derogatory, chiefly N. Amer. a supporter or companion. ORIGIN Latin cohors yard …   English terms dictionary

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