Forms: 4–6 alie, alye, 4–8 allye, (4 aleye), 5 aly, 5–7 allie, (6–7 alley), 5– ally. Occas. accented a·lly in 7. [f. the vb.]
I. abstract.
† 1. Connection by marriage or descent; relationship, kinship, kindred. Obs.
c. 1400. Epiph. (Turnb., 1843), 102. His son … Or ellis won that wer her next of alye.
1494. Fabyan, IV. lxxi. 49. A noble yonge man of thaly of Helayne.
1592. Warner, Alb. Eng., VII. xxxv. 170. He wiu’d a Lady passing faire and of the King’s Allie.
† 2. Confederation, alliance. Obs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. ix. 22. His band of freyndschip and ally.
1553–87. Foxe, A. & M., II. 370. A perpetual league amity and allie should be nourished between this realm and the princes of Germany.
II. collect. (Cf. ‘to have acquaintance with’; ‘to meet all his acquaintance.’)
† 3. People of one’s relationship; kindred, relatives. Obs.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (1841), 145. If I myght of myn alye ony ther ffynde.
c. 1400. St. Alexius (Cott. MS.), 64. With alle the beste of here Aleye.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 286. The erl of Northumbirland cam … with alle his alye.
† 4. People of an alliance; confederates. Obs. rare.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 319. Or ellis thai war his allye.
III. individual. (Cf. ‘an acquaintance.’)
† 5. A relative, a kinsman or kinswoman. Obs.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4077. Othre þat ware ys cosyns oþer alyes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sec. Nonnes T., 292. ‘This day I take the for myn allye,’ Sayde this blisful faire mayde.
1388. Wyclif, Ex. xviii. 5. Jetro, alie of Moises.
1482. Monk of Evesham (1869), 71. Cosyn and alye to the same bysshoppe.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. i. 114. This Gentleman the Princes neere Alie.
1654. L’Estrange, K. Charles I. (1655), 118. Upon an ally worse still, as superinducting Incest with Rape.
6. fig. Anything akin to another by community of structure or properties, or placed near it in classification. In Bot. Natural orders placed in the same ALLIANCE, q.v.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 549. All the Weste Allies of stormy Boreas blow.
1713. Derham, Physico-Theol., VII. ii. 384. From the Head and Mouth, pass we to its near Allie the Stomach.
1857. H. Miller, Test. Rocks, xi. 496. Consisting mainly of ferns and their allies.
Mod. The alkaline metals and their allies.
7. One united or associated with another by treaty or league; now usually of sovereigns or states.
1598. Greenwey, Tacitus Ann., XIII. ii. 180. The like number of citizens and allies should bee vnder Corbuloes charge.
1640. Quarles, Enchirid., ix. 1. Assayle some Alley of his rather than himselfe.
1677. Sedley, Ant. & Cl., IV. i. (1766), 166. One King or ally still forsakes his side.
1769. Robertson, Charles V., VI. VI. 77. His new ally the Sultan.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xvi. 303. Ammon, the ancient ally of Israel … is the assailant.
1870. Knight, Crown Hist. Eng., 791. There were two columns of the Allies marching on Paris.
8. fig. Anything auxiliary to another.
1853. H. Rogers, Ecl. Faith, 6. Tractarianism is … the strict ally of Rome.
1869. Buckle, Civiliz., III. v. 477. Science, instead of being the enemy of religion, becomes its ally.
