Legal Dictionary
Main Entry:
con·sol·i·datePronunciation:
k&n-'sä-l&-"dAtFunction:
transitive verbInflected Forms:
-dat·ed;
-dat·ing : to join together into one whole: as
a : to combine (two or more lawsuits or matters that involve a common question of law or fact) into one —compare
CLASS ACTION NOTE: Consolidation of matters in the federal courts is governed by Rule 42 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Consolidated cases may become one single action with a single judgment, or may retain their individual identities although tried together. The court may also try one representative case and render a judgment binding on the other cases. b : to combine (two or more corporations) to form one new corporation —compare
MERGER —
con·sol·i·da·tion /k&n-"sä-l&-'dA-sh&n/ noun
[kuh
n-sol-i-deyt] 
verb, -dat⋅ed, -dat⋅ing, adjective