different between offsider vs ally

English

Etymology

offside +? -er

Pronunciation

Noun

offsider (plural offsiders)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, informal) A partner, assistant, or deputy.
   • 1987, Jill Bowen, Kidman: The Forgotten King, 2010, unnumbered page,

     Kidman, riding hell for leather and carrying a heavy stockwhip, caught up with him soon after, or rather with his offsider, who was tailing the mob, and demanded an explanation for their trespassing.

     “Don?t ask me,” said the offsider. “You see the boss.”

   • 2006, Michael Roberts, 50 Years of Television in Australia, page 59,

     With the 2005 incarnation of Temptation, Livinia Nixon has completed the trifecta of TV seconds: variety offsider, game show hostess and weather girl.

   • 2007, Andrew Fraser, Court in the Middle, 2010, unnumbered page,

     Tom also brought an offsider. I will never forget the look on the faces of the airline staff when Big Tony hauled his shooter out and slammed it on the counter. Tom and his sidekick did the same. I couldn?t believe these blokes were armed and how cool everyone was about it.

Anagrams

• dries off

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English allien, alien, from Old French alier (Modern Old French allier), from Latin allig? (“to bind to”), from ad (“to”) + lig? (“to bind”). Compare alligate, allay, alloy and ligament.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?l'?, IPA^(key): /?æl.a?/ (noun, also used for the verb)
• enPR: ?l?', IPA^(key): /??la?/ (verb, sometimes used for the noun)
• Rhymes: -a?

Verb

ally (third-person singular simple present allies, present participle allying, simple past and past participle allied)

1. (transitive) To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy.

   • O chief! in blood, and now in arms allied.

2. (transitive) To connect or form a relation between by similitude, resemblance, friendship, or love.
   • The virtue nearest to our vice allied.

Usage notes

• Generally used in the passive form or reflexively.
• Often followed by to or with.

Synonyms

• make common cause

Translations

Noun

ally (plural allies)

1. A person, group, or state (etc) which is associated with another for a common cause; one united to another by treaty or common purpose; a confederate.
2. A person, group, concept (etc) which is associated with another as a helper; a supporter; an auxiliary.
   • 1857, Henry Thomas Buckle, History of Civilization in England:

     Science, instead of being the enemy of religion, becomes its ally.

   1. A person who is not a member of the LGBT+ community but is supportive of it.
   2. An outside supporter of any demographic subject to discrimination and/or misrepresentation.

      I'm glad you want to be a better ally to the disabled.

3. Anything akin to something else by structure, etc.
4. (taxonomy) A closely related species, usually within the same family.

   Gruiformes — cranes and allies

5. (obsolete) A relative; a kinsman.
   • 1597, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Act III, Scene 1:

     This gentleman, the prince's near ally / My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt / In my behalf

Related terms

• alliance

Translations

References

Etymology 2

Diminutive of alabaster.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æli/

Noun

ally (plural allies)

1. Alternative form of alley (a glass marble or taw)

References

• ally in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• Lyla, y'all, ya'll, yall