AID

¹

[eyd]

noun

U.S. Government.

1. the division of the United States International Development Cooperation Agency that coordinates the various foreign aid programs with U.S. foreign policy: established in 1961.

AID

²

abbreviation

1. American Institute of Decorators.

2. American Institute of Interior Designers.

3. British.,  artificial insemination donor. Also A.I.D.

aid

³

[eyd]

verb (used with object)

1. to provide support for or relief to; help.

   to aid the victims of the fire.

2. to promote the progress or accomplishment of; facilitate.

   Synonyms: advance, foster, back, abet
   Antonyms: frustrate, hinder

verb (used without object)

1. to give help or assistance.

noun

1. help or support; assistance.

   Synonyms: grant, subsidy, relief, succor

2. a person or thing that aids or furnishes assistance; helper; auxiliary.

3. Manège.,  aids,

   1. Also called natural aids. the means by which a rider communicates with and controls a horse, as the hands, legs, voice, and shifts in weight.

   2. Also called artificial aids. the devices used by a rider to increase control of a horse, as spurs, whip, and martingale.

4. aide-de-camp.

5. foreign aid.

6. a payment made by feudal vassals to their lord on special occasions.

7. English History.,  (after 1066) any of several revenues received by a king in the Middle Ages from his vassals and other subjects, limited by the Magna Charta to specified occasions.

aid

¹

/ eɪd /

verb

1. to give support to (someone to do something); help or assist

2. (tr) to assist financially

noun

1. assistance; help; support

2. a person, device, etc, that helps or assists

   a teaching aid

3. Also: artificial aid. mountaineering any of various devices such as piton or nut when used as a direct help in the ascent

4. (in medieval Europe; in England after 1066) a feudal payment made to the king or any lord by his vassals, usually on certain occasions such as the marriage of a daughter or the knighting of an eldest son

5. informal,  in support of; for the purpose of

AID

²

abbreviation

1. acute infectious disease

2. artificial insemination (by) donor: former name for Donor Insemination (DI)

Aid

³

combining form

1. denoting a charitable organization or function that raises money for a cause

   Band Aid

   Ferryaid

Confusables Note

Although the nouns aid and aide both have among their meanings “an assisting person,” the spelling aide is increasingly used for the sense “helper, assistant”: One of the senator's aides is calling. Aide in military use is short for aide-de-camp. It is also the spelling in nurse's aide.

Other Word Forms

• aider noun
• aidful adjective
• aidless adjective
• unaided adjective
• unaidedly adverb
• unaiding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of AID¹

A(gency for) I(nternational) D(evelopment)

Origin of AID²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English noun aide, eide, from Anglo-French, Old French aide, derivative of verb aid(i)er, from Latin adjūtāre “to help”; adjuvant ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of AID¹

C15: via Old French aidier from Latin adjūtāre to help, from juvāre to help

Synonym Study

See help.

Example Sentences

While you plan to cover all or most of their college expenses, if your children are also receiving any type of financial aid, they may want to consider delaying or minimizing any distributions that could impact their eligibility for aid, adds Martin Schamis, head of wealth planning at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia.

Read more on MarketWatch

While some patients are putting off their weekly injections to chow down, others are plotting to aid their digestion by planning the order in which they eat various foods and bringing water bottles to sip for hydration.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In turn, several “rapid-response” organizations have surged into action to aid those targeted in the raids, and document their treatment.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

While a peace deal would open the doors to previously sanctioned Russian energy exports, the growing odds of a December cut by the Fed could aid global fuel demand, the analyst adds.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"For us, the way to fight against violence against women is to prevent the violence, and to prevent the violence we have to build equality," argues Fabiana Costantino of Action Aid Italy, which created the temporary museum to imagine a day when male dominance is consigned to the past.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• assistance 
• benefit 
• care 
• compensation 
• cooperation 
• gift 
• relief 
• service 
• subsidy 
• treatment