['k??h?:t]
¦ noun
1. [treated as sing. or plural] an ancient Roman military unit, comprising six centuries, equal to one tenth of a legion.
2. [treated as sing. or plural] a group of people with a shared characteristic.
3. a supporter or companion.
Origin
ME: from OFr. cohorte, or from L. cohors, cohort- 'yard, retinue'.
Usage
Cohort in the sense 'a companion', as in young Jack arrived with three of his cohorts, is well established, but there are still some people who object to it on the grounds that the word should only be used for groups of people, never for individuals.