cohort

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The Word of the Day for February 2 is:=20

cohort   \KOH-hort\   noun
          1 a : one of 10 divisions of an ancient Roman legion  *b : ban=
d, group  c : a group of individuals having a statistical factor (as age=
 or class membership) in common in a demographic study
     2 : companion, colleague=20

Example sentence:
          "A cohort of chambermaids would descend twice daily with mops,=
 brooms, and fresh towels in tow." (Doone Beale, _Gourmet_, April 1989)

Did you know?
          In ancient times, a cohort was a military unit, one of ten div=
isions in a Roman legion. The term passed into English via French 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 di=
fferent groups. The "companion" sense is well established in standard us=
e, however, and its meaning is clear enough in such sentences as "her co=
horts came along with her to the game."





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