Library / English Dictionary

AID

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

Example:

the old car needs constant attention

Synonyms:

aid; attention; care; tending

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("aid" is a kind of...):

work (activity directed toward making or doing something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "aid"):

health care; healthcare (the preservation of mental and physical health by preventing or treating illness through services offered by the health profession)

tree surgery (treatment of damaged or decaying trees)

faith cure; faith healing (care provided through prayer and faith in God)

skin care; skincare (care for the skin)

personal care (care for someone who is disabled or is otherwise unable to care for themselves; can including bathing and cooking and managing bodily functions)

nurturance (physical and emotional care and nourishment)

tender loving care; TLC (considerate and solicitous care)

nursing (the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm)

nourishment (the act of nourishing)

pedicure (professional care for the feet and toenails)

manicure (professional care for the hands and fingernails)

livery (the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay)

incubation (maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development)

intervention; treatment (care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury))

first aid (emergency care given before regular medical aid can be obtained)

dental care (care for the teeth)

pet sitting (the work of a pet sitter; caring for pets in their own home while their owners are away from home)

baby sitting; babysitting (the work of a baby sitter; caring for children when their parents are not home)

maternalism (motherly care; behavior characteristic of a mother; the practice of acting as a mother does toward her children)

hair care; haircare; hairdressing (care for the hair: the activity of washing or cutting or curling or arranging the hair)

Derivation:

aid (improve the condition of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

Example:

offered his help in unloading

Synonyms:

aid; assist; assistance; help

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("aid" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "aid"):

support (aiding the cause or policy or interests of)

comfort (assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal)

boost; encouragement (the act of giving hope or support to someone)

accommodation (the act of providing something (lodging or seat or food) to meet a need)

service (an act of help or assistance)

lift (the act of giving temporary assistance)

ministration; relief; succor; succour (assistance in time of difficulty)

thanks (with the help of or owing to)

recourse; refuge; resort (act of turning to for assistance)

hand; helping hand (physical assistance)

facilitation (act of assisting or making easier the progress or improvement of something)

self-help (the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do

Example:

his job was to give technical assistance over the phone

Synonyms:

aid; assistance; help

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("aid" is a kind of...):

resource (a source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when needed)

Derivation:

aid (give help or assistance; be of service)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Gift of money or other material help to support a person or cause

Example:

economic assistance to depressed areas

Synonyms:

aid; assistance; economic aid; economic assistance; financial aid; financial assistance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("aid" is a kind of...):

gift (something acquired without compensation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "aid"):

traineeship (financial aid that enables you to get trained for a specified job)

grant-in-aid (a grant to a person or school for some educational project)

grant (any monetary aid)

foreign aid (aid (such as economic or military assistance) provided to one nation by another)

fellowship (money granted (by a university or foundation or other agency) for advanced study or research)

scholarship (financial aid provided to a student on the basis of academic merit)

philanthropic gift; philanthropy (voluntary promotion of human welfare)

public assistance; social welfare; welfare (governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Improve the condition of

Example:

These pills will help the patient

Synonyms:

aid; help

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "aid" is one way to...):

ameliorate; amend; better; improve; meliorate (to make better)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "aid"):

bring around; cure; heal (provide a cure for, make healthy again)

benefit; do good (be beneficial for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

aid (the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give help or assistance; be of service

Example:

She never helps around the house

Synonyms:

aid; assist; help

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "aid" is one way to...):

back up; support (give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "aid"):

alleviate; ease; facilitate (make easier)

assist; attend; attend to; serve; wait on (work for or be a servant to)

benefact (help as a benefactor)

help out (be of help, as in a particular situation of need)

subserve (be helpful or useful)

succor; succour (help in a difficult situation)

expedite; hasten (speed up the progress of; facilitate)

avail (be of use to, be useful to)

care; give care (provide care for)

bootstrap (help oneself, often through improvised means)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot aid Sue

Derivation:

aid (a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do)

Credits

 Context examples: 

ACDM may placed over wounds to aid as a substitute for skin when necessary such as for surgical reconstruction or for protection against wound exposure and breakdown and wound infection.

(Acellular Cadaveric Dermal Matrix, NCI Thesaurus)

The release of the raw, uncalibrated data collected will aid astronomers in preparing proposals due this month to use telescopes on Earth next winter to further investigate TRAPPIST-1.

(NASA's Kepler Provides Another Peek at Ultra-cool Neighbor, NASA)

Knowledge of the genes involved in domoic acid production will allow for better monitoring of algae blooms, scientists say, and aid in identifying the conditions that trigger toxin production.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

Identifying and correcting vitamin D insufficiency could aid in the early treatment of MS.

(Vitamin D Levels Predict Multiple Sclerosis Progression, NIH)

The finding may aid in the development of future therapies.

(Structure of receptor involved in brain disorders, NIH)

With the aid of computers, scientists were able to pick out more than 170,000 active supermassive black holes from the WISE data.

(NASA's WISE findings poke hole in black hole 'Doughnut' theory, NASA)

“And,” added the other, “upon every aid which the wealth and power of Majorca can bestow.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

If you are single, Mars will summon Cupid to your aid, and if you are married, to celebrate the love you’ve found.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Then, with the aid of the groom and the stable-boy, they had conveyed their injured mistress to her room.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I have no one to turn to—none, save only one, who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can be of little aid.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)