con·sort¹ • n. / ˈkänˌsôrt/ a wife, husband, or companion, in particular the spouse of a reigning monarch. ∎  a ship sailing in company with another.• v. / kənˈsôrt; ˈkänˌsôrt/ [intr.] (consort with) habitually associate with (someone), typically with the disapproval of others: you chose to consort with the enemy. ∎  (consort with/to) archaic agree or be in harmony with.con·sort² / ˈkänˌsôrt/ • n. a small group of musicians performing together, typically playing instrumental music of the Renaissance period: a consort of viols.

Consort

a number of people consorting together or in a company; a company or set of musicians; an assembly; a divan or consultation—Johnson, 1755.

Examples: consort of authors, 1654; of bird calls, 1711; of birds, 1712; of fiddlers, 1656; of knavery, 1598; of musical instruments; of musicians, 1616; of parasites, 1702; of plaudits, 1667; of praise, 1705; of ships [sailing together], 1591; of viols, 1883; of virgins, 1604.

consort 1 †partner, mate XV; ship sailing with another; partner in marriage, spouse. XVII. — F. consort, fem. -sorte — L. consors, -sort- sharing in COMMON, partner, colleague, f. CON- + sors portion, lot (see SORT).

consort 2 †accompany, escort; associate or accord with. XVI. In the first sense f. CONSORT 1; in the second prob. a reinforcement of SORT vb.

consort. An old spelling of ‘concert’, meaning a concerted perf. by any body of performers. A whole consort was one in which all the instr. were of one family; a broken consort one in which there was a mixture.