boon

¹

[ boon ]

noun

1. something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.
2. something that is asked; a favor sought.

boon

²

[ boon ]

adjective

1. (of a person) jolly; jovial; convivial:

   boon companions.

2. Archaic. kindly; gracious; bounteous.

boon

³

[ boon ]

noun

, Textiles.

1. the ligneous waste product obtained by braking and scutching flax.

boon

¹

/ buːn /

noun

1. something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial; a blessing or benefit

   the car was a boon to him

2. archaic.
   a favour; request

   he asked a boon of the king

boon

²

/ buːn /

adjective

1. close, special, or intimate (in the phrase boon companion )
2. archaic.
   jolly or convivial

Other Words From

• boonless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of boon¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bon(e) “praying, a prayer, favor asked for,” from Old Norse bōn “prayer, request, petition”; cognate with Old English bēn

Origin of boon²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bon(e), boun “good, goodly,” from Old French, from Latin bonus “good, expert”

Origin of boon³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (north) bun(n)e, bone “reed, stem, husk (of flax)”; compare Old English bune “reed; drinking cup”

Word History and Origins

Origin of boon¹

C12: from Old Norse bōn request; related to Old English bēn prayer

Origin of boon²

C14: from Old French bon from Latin bonus good

Example Sentences

The story of fluoridation reads like a postmodern fable, and the moral is clear: a scientific discovery might seem like a boon.

From The Daily Beast

Apple is already positioning egg freezing as a boon to women at the company.

From The Daily Beast

Adding vehicles to the grid could be a boon to vehicle and fleet owners in several ways.

From The Daily Beast

That could be a great boon to the Peshmerga, but not without costs.

From The Daily Beast

Now they do business year round, which has been a boon in times of economic crisis.

From The Daily Beast

Renounce the good law of the worshippers of Mazda, and thou shalt gain such a boon as the Murderer gained, the ruler of nations.

From Project Gutenberg

And now, gentlemen, I have a boon to ask—where there is so much joy, why not make all happy at once?

From Project Gutenberg

The boon was granted, and I remember the wave of delight that swept over us, and how we enjoyed the long summer evenings.

From Project Gutenberg

He died on March 3rd, 1844, at the age of eighty, having given his subjects the precious boon of twenty-five years of peace.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus many artesian wells have been sunk in the Algerian Sahara which have proved an immense boon to the district.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blessing
• godsend
• windfall