company

[ kuhm-puh-nee ]
/ ˈkʌm pə ni /

noun, plural com·pa·nies.

verb (used without object), com·pa·nied, com·pa·ny·ing.

Archaic. to associate.

verb (used with object), com·pa·nied, com·pa·ny·ing.

Archaic. to accompany.

Idioms for company

    keep company,
    1. to associate with; be a friend of.
    2. Informal. to go together, as in courtship: My sister has been keeping company with a young lawyer.
    part company,
    1. to cease association or friendship with: We parted company 20 years ago after the argument.
    2. to take a different or opposite view; differ: He parted company with his father on politics.
    3. to separate: We parted company at the airport.

Origin of company

1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French compaignie companionship, equivalent to compain (< Late Latin compāniō; see companion1) + -ie -y3

synonym study for company

1. Company, band, party, troop refer to a group of people formally or informally associated. Company is the general word and means any group of people: a company of motorists. Band, used especially of a band of musicians, suggests a relatively small group pursuing the same purpose or sharing a common fate: a concert by a band; a band of survivors. Party, except when used of a political group, usually implies an indefinite and temporary assemblage, as for some common pursuit: a spelunking party. Troop, used specifically of a body of cavalry, usually implies a number of individuals organized as a unit: a troop of cavalry.

OTHER WORDS FROM company

com·pa·ny·less, adjective in·ter·com·pa·ny, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for keep company

company
/ (ˈkʌmpənɪ) /

noun plural -nies

verb -nies, -nying or -nied

archaic to keep company or associate (with someone)

Word Origin for company

C13: from Old French compaignie, from compain companion, fellow, from Late Latin compāniō; see companion 1

Idioms and Phrases with keep company (1 of 2)

keep company

1

Also, keep company with. Associate with; also, carry on a courtship. For example, He keeps company with a wild bunch, or Jack and Françoise kept company for two years before they married. [Mid-1500s]

2

keep someone company. Accompany or remain with someone, as in Mary kept Mother company while she shopped, or Do you want me to stay and keep you company? This term was originally put as bear someone company. [c. 1300]

Idioms and Phrases with keep company (2 of 2)

company