Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Cohort

WORD OF THE DAY January 10, 2018

cohort    noun | KOH-hort     Definition   1 : companion, colleague   2 a : band, group   b : a group of individuals having a statistical factor (such as age or class membership) in common in a demographic study   c : one of 10 divisions of an ancient Roman legion   d : a group of warriors or soldiers   Scroll down for more about cohort       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   Pass the Little Ribbons: A Pasta Word Quiz   Match the pasta with its meaning in Italian.     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   In ancient times, a cohort was a military unit, one of ten divisions in a Roman legion. The term passed into English in the 15th century, when it was used in translations and writings about Roman history. Once cohort became established in our language, its meaning was extended, first to refer to any body of troops, then to any group of individuals with something in common, and later to a single companion. Some usage commentators have objected to this last sense because it can be hard to tell whether the plural refers to different individuals or different groups. The "companion" sense is well established in standard use, however, and its meaning is clear enough in such sentences as "her cohorts came along with her to the game."     Examples of COHORT   "A cohort of chambermaids would descend twice daily with mops, brooms, and fresh towels in tow." — Doone Beale, Gourmet, April 1989   "But among those aged 65 to 74 years old, more than three-quarters had registered and 70 percent voted—a proportion that dropped only slightly in older cohorts." — Paula Span, The New York Times, 28 Nov. 2017   Name That Synonym   Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of cohort meaning "companion, colleague": c _ _ p _ _ r _ _ t.   VIEW THE ANSWER           ASK THE EDITOR     Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?   Language changes   WATCH THE VIDEO NOW