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aid

Pronunciation: /eɪd/
Translate aid | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of aid

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] help, typically of a practical nature:he saw the pilot slumped in his cockpit and went to his aid she walked with the aid of a Zimmer frame
  • financial or material help given to a country or area in need:700,000 tons of food aid [as modifier]:an aid agency
  • [count noun] a source of help or assistance:exercise is an important aid to recovery after heart attacks a teaching aid
  • 2 historical a grant of subsidy or tax to a king or queen.

verb

[with object]
  • help or support (someone or something) in the achievement of something:women were aided in childbirth by midwives [no object]:research was conducted to aid in making decisions
  • promote or encourage (something):diet and exercise aid healthy skin

Phrases

aid and abet

see abet.

in aid of

chiefly British in support of; for the purpose of raising money for:a charity show in aid of Leukaemia Research

what's (all) this in aid of?

British informal what is the purpose of this?.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French aide (noun), aidier (verb), based on Latin adjuvare, from ad- 'towards' + juvare 'to help'

aid in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of aid in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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