aid

Meanings

Noun

• Help; assistance; succor, relief.
• A helper; an assistant.
• Something which helps; a material source of help.
• An historical subsidy granted to the crown by Parliament for an extraordinary purpose, such as a war effort.
• An exchequer loan.
• A pecuniary tribute paid by a vassal to his feudal lord on special occasions.
• An aide-de-camp, so called by abbreviation.

Verb

• To provide support to; to further the progress of; to help; to assist.
• To climb with the use of aids such as pitons.

Related

Similar words

• assist
• befriend
• bestand
• cooperate
• help
• promote
• relieve
• succor
• support
• sustain

Origin

• From Middle English aide, eide, ayde, from Old French eide, aide, from aidier, from Latin adiuto. Cognates include Spanish ayuda, Portuguese ajuda and Italian aiuto.
• From Middle English aiden, from Old French eider, aider, aidier, from Latin adiuto, frequentative of adiuvō.