consort

—consortable, adj. —consorter, n. —consortion, n.

n. /kon"sawrt/, v. /keuhn sawrt"/, n.

1. a husband or wife; spouse, esp. of a reigning monarch. Cf. prince consort, queen consort.

2. one vessel or ship accompanying another.

3. Music.

a. a group of instrumentalists and singers who perform music, esp. old music.

b. a group of instruments of the same family, as viols, played in concert.

4. a companion, associate, or partner: a confidant and consort of heads of state.

5. accord or agreement.

6. Obs.

a. company or association.

b. harmony of sounds.

v.i.

7. to associate; keep company: to consort with known criminals.

8. to agree or harmonize.

v.t.

9. to associate, join, or unite.

10. Obs.

a. to accompany; espouse.

b. to sound in harmony.

[1375-1425; late ME < MF < L consort- (s. of consors) sharer, orig. sharing (adj.). See CON-, SORT]

* * *

▪ music

      in music, instrumental ensemble popular in England during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word consort was also used to indicate the music itself and the performance.

      Though the authenticity of such terms is doubtful, some researchers have suggested that there were “whole” consorts, in which all the instruments were of one family (typically, stringed or wind instruments), and “broken” consorts, with different families of instruments. (Others suggest that whole means “complete,” or “full,” and that broken means “disordered.”) Broken consorts of treble and bass viols, lute, pandora, cittern, and bass recorder were popular in about 1600.

* * *