avail









avail


avail [uh-veyl] ExamplesWord Origin verb (used with object)

  1. to be of use or value to; profit; advantage: All our efforts availed us little in trying to effect a change.

verb (used without object)

  1. to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help: His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.
  2. to be of value or profit.

noun

  1. advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective: His belated help will be of little or no avail.
  2. avails, Archaic. profits or proceeds.

Idioms

  1. avail oneself of, to use to one’s advantage: They availed themselves of the opportunity to hear a free concert.

Origin of avail 1250–1300; Middle English availe, equivalent to a- a-2 + vaile Old French vail- (stem of valoir) Latin valēre to be of worthRelated formsa·vail·ing·ly, adverbun·a·vailed, adjective Examples from the Web for unavailed Historical Examples of unavailed

  • The colored population is the great available and yet unavailed of force for restoring the Union.

    The Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln, Volume Six

    Abraham Lincoln

  • British Dictionary definitions for unavailed avail verb

    1. to be of use, advantage, profit, or assistance (to)
    2. avail oneself of to make use of to one’s advantage

    noun

    1. use or advantage (esp in the phrases of no avail, to little avail)

    Derived Formsavailingly, adverbWord Origin for avail C13 availen, from vailen, from Old French valoir, from Latin valēre to be strong, prevail Word Origin and History for unavailed avail v.

    c.1300, availen, apparently a French compound formed in English from Old French a- “to” (see ad-) + vailen “to avail,” from vaill-, present stem of valoir “be worth,” from Latin valere (see valiant). Related: Availed; availing. As a noun, from c.1400.

    Idioms and Phrases with unavailed avail

    In addition to the idiom beginning with avail

  • avail oneself of
  • also see:

  • to no avail
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