yokemate

A farmer and his yokemate guide the oxen across the field.

Definition

Noun:
- A close companion or partner: "yokemate" refers to a person who is closely associated with another, such as a fellow worker, a spouse, or a partner in a shared undertaking. The term derives from the image of two animals yoked together for pulling a plow, implying a shared burden or journey.
- A spouse: In historical or literary contexts, "yokemate" can specifically denote a husband or wife, emphasizing the bond of marriage as a partnership.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- They were yokemates in the business, sharing both profits and losses. (Close companions in a joint venture.)
- She considered her husband her faithful yokemate through life's challenges. (Spouse or life partner.)

Advanced Usage

"to be yokemates": to be bound together in a common purpose or responsibility.
- The two explorers became yokemates on their arduous journey across the desert. (They were partners enduring hardship together.)
"yokemate in labor": a fellow worker or colleague.
- He found a loyal yokemate in the factory, someone who never shirked his duties. (A reliable coworker.)

Variants and Related Words

Yokefellow (n): a close companion or partner; similar in meaning to "yokemate."
- They were yokefellows in the ministry, preaching together for decades. (Companions in a shared religious mission.)
Yoke (n): a wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two animals to pull a load; figuratively, a bond or burden.
- The yoke of marriage united them as yokemates. (The bond of marriage.)

Synonyms

Related Idioms

To pull together under a yoke: to work cooperatively as a team.
- As yokemates, they pulled together under a yoke of mutual support. (They collaborated harmoniously.)
To share the same yoke: to be bound by a common duty or fate.
- The soldiers shared the same yoke of service, making them yokemates in war. (United by a shared obligation.)