Word of the Day
Company
Mac Dictionary’s definition:
a commercial business : a shipping company | [in names ] the Ford Motor Company | [as adj. ] a company director.
2 the fact or condition of being with another or others, esp. in a way that provides friendship and enjoyment : I could do with some company.
• a person or people seen as a source of such friendship and enjoyment : she is excellent company.
• the person or group of people whose society someone is currently sharing : he was silent among such distinguished company.
• a visiting person or group of people : I’m expecting company.
3 a number of individuals gathered together, esp. for a particular purpose : the mayor addressed the assembled company.
• a body of soldiers, esp. the smallest subdivision of an infantry battalion, typically commanded by a major or captain : the troops of C Company.
• a group of actors, singers, or dancers who perform together : a touring opera company.
4 ( the Company) informal the Central Intelligence Agency.
verb ( -nies, -nied) [ intrans. ] ( company with) poetic/literary
associate with; keep company with : these men which have companied with us all this time.
• [ trans. ] archaic accompany (someone) : the fair dame, companied by Statius and myself.
PHRASES
and company used after a person’s name to denote those people usually associated with them : the psycholinguistics of Jacques Lacan and company. • used in the name of a business to denote other unspecified partners : Little, Brown and Company.
be in good company be in the same situation as someone important or respected : if you spot the ghost, you are in good company: King George V saw it too.
in company with another person or a group of people : you were never to mention in company your father’s uncle.
in company with together with : the U.S. dollar went through a bad patch in 1986, in company with the oil market.
keep someone company accompany or spend time with someone in order to prevent them from feeling lonely or bored. • engage in the same activity as someone else in order to be sociable : I’ll have a drink myself, just to keep you company.
keep company with associate with habitually : we don’t especially care for the people he’s been keeping company with. • have a social or romantic relationship with; date : are you keeping company with anyone special these days?
part company see part .
ORIGIN Middle English (in senses 2 and 3) : from Old French compainie; related to compaignon (see companion 1 ).
Who owns their own company?
