The Collaborative International Dictionary
Companion \Com*pan"ion\ (k[o^]m*p[a^]n"y[u^]n), n. [F. compagnon, OF. compaing, fr. an assumed LL. companio (cf. companium fellowship, a mess), fr. L. com- + panis bread. See Pantry.]
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One who accompanies or is in company with another for a longer or shorter period, either from choice or casually; one who is much in the company of, or is associated with, another or others; an associate; a comrade; a consort; a partner.
The companions of his fall.
--Milton.The companion of fools shall smart for it.
--Prov. xiii. 20 (Rev. Ver.).Here are your sons again; and I must lose Two of the sweetest companions in the world.
--Shak.A companion is one with whom we share our bread; a messmate.
--Trench. A knight of the lowest rank in certain orders; as, a companion of the Bath.
A fellow; -- in contempt. [Obs.]
--Shak.-
[Cf. OSp. compa[~n]a an outhouse, office.] (Naut.)
A skylight on an upper deck with frames and sashes of various shapes, to admit light to a cabin or lower deck.
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A wooden hood or penthouse covering the companion way; a companion hatch.
Companion hatch (Naut.), a wooden porch over the entrance or staircase of the cabin.
Companion ladder (Naut.), the ladder by which officers ascend to, or descend from, the quarter-deck.
--Totten.Companion way (Naut.), a staircase leading to the cabin.
Knights companions, in certain honorary orders, the members of the lowest grades as distinguished from knights commanders, knights grand cross, and the like.
Syn: Associate; comrade; mate; compeer; partner; ally; confederate; coadjutor; accomplice.
Wiktionary
n. (context nautical English) Either of two ladders leading from the raised quarterdeck of a sailing ship to the upper deck
Usage examples of "companion ladder".
The agent could see that the bottom rung of the companion ladder was about to go under.
Keeping his arm around her, Chandagnac hustled Beth toward the companion ladder.
Jago was louging by the companion ladder, but straightened up as Adam seized the handrail.
He went as steadily as he could down the companion ladder and to his cabin, and when he had drunk four pints of water - more, he thought vaguely, would amount to that excess so fatal to cows, horses and sheep - he looked at Plaice and Ben in their hammocks, washed the filth from his person, threw off his clothes, ate six eggs with soft-tack, followed by a whole water-melon, and stretched out on his cot, his eyes closing as his head went down.
Aft again there were two quarter berths, the companion ladder leading up on deck, and a small petrol motor underneath this ladder, rather inaccessible.
He slipped his arms into his coat and climbed up the companion ladder to the deck.
Slowly they came up, climbing the companion ladder, tired, swaying, powerful figures.
I was carried down a companion ladder, a door was opened and I was dropped on to a bunk.