▪ I. aid, v.
(eɪd)
Forms: 5 eyde, 5–6 ayde, 6–7 ayd, aide, 7– aid.
[a. OFr. aide-r, -ier (Pr. ajuda-r):—L. adjūtā-re, freq. of adjuvā-re to give help to; f. ad to + juvā-re to help. (In the OFr. aidier, ai- = L. adju-, d disappearing as usual, and u as following secondary accent in ˌadjuˈtāre; i was semi-vowel (j) = L. j.)]
1. trans. To give help, support, or assistance to; to help, assist, succour.
[Aiding quoted from Chaucer Persones T. by Richardson is not genuine.]
| 1483 Caxton Cato a iij b, To ayde helpe and Susteyne them in theyr necessytees. 1488 W. Paston in Lett. 904 III. 344 My Lord Woddevyle and other schulde have gone over in to Breten to have eyded the Duke of Breten. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iii. 7 Ye choise spirits..Appeare, and ayde me in this enterprize! 1611 Bible 1 Macc. viii. 26 Neither shal they..aide them with victuals, weapons, money, or ships. 1795 Sewel tr. Hist. Quakers I. iv. 239, I would have aided him out of the country but he would not go. 1876 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. v. 286 The invasion was aided and abetted by Richard's subjects. 1878 G. Macdonald Ann. Quiet Neighb. xxviii. 478 Every appliance that could alleviate suffering or aid recovery. |
2. absol. and with inf.
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well iv. iv. 12 Where, heaven ayding..Wee'l be before our welcome. 1611 ― Wint. T. v. ii. 77 All the Instruments which ayded to expose the Child. 1806 Coleridge Christabel i. 130 But this she knows..That saints will aid if men will call. |
▪ II. aid, n.
(eɪd)
Forms: 5 eide, 5–7 aide, ayde, 6–7 ayd, 7– aid.
[a. OFr. aïde, ayde, earlier aiude, Strasb. oaths aiudha, adiudha (cf. Pr. ajudha, ajuda, Sp. ayuda):—late L. adjūta, n. f. pa. pple. fem. of adiuvāre (see prec.) analogous to ns. in -ée, -āta; see -ade.]
1. a. Help, assistance, support, succour, relief.
| 1475 Bk. Noblesse 4 Be the eide of tho thre noble prynces. 1475 Caxton Jason 18 b, If the goddes be in myn ayde. 1559 Myrroure for Mag., Rich II, vi. 1 Neyther lakt I ayde in any wicked dede. 1607 Shakes. Cor. i. vii. 3 If I do send, dispatch Those Centuries to our ayd. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 119 His puissance, trusting in the Almighty's aid, I mean to try. 1771 Burke in Corr. (1844) I. 262 You have not called in the aid of fancy. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. ii. 130 Friend of distress! the mourner feels thy aid. 1868 Geo. Eliot F. Holt 22 She had never dressed herself without aid. |
b. in aid of, in support of (a cause or charity). Hence, fig. and colloq. (presumably having its origin in the freq. use of the phr. in appealing for the public support of a cause), about, concerned with; esp. in phr., often disparaging, what's this (or that) in aid of?, what is the meaning or purpose of this?, what is this all about?
| 1837 Playbill in M. Morley Old Marylebone Theatre (1960) 20 A Benefit will take place in Aid of the Funds of the New Alms Houses. 1860 S. S. Hennell (title) Thoughts in aid of faith. 1881 W. S. Gilbert Patience i. 19 In aid—in aid of a deserving charity, I've put myself up to be raffled for! 1915 Times 22 Oct. 11/3 Queen Alexandra..was present at the Empire Theatre matinée in Aid of the British Red Cross Society. 1918 Punch 20 Nov. 332 (caption) Oh Mother,..they've given us a whole holiday to-day in aid of the war. a 1935 T. E. Lawrence Mint (1936) 127 The hut lights were on and he had brought me a tin of tea and a hot sausage roll. ‘Scram up!’ he called... ‘What's all this in aid of?’ I asked, stupidly. 1935 Marsh & Jellett Nursing-Home Murder xv. 231 ‘That's your disillusioned expression, Fox,’ said Alleyn. ‘What's it in aid of?’ 1942 ‘Blake’ We Rendezvous at Ten ii. 41 The Group Captain called down the table to Roger: ‘Find out what that's in aid of, Roger, will you?’ 1949 E. Bowen Heat of Day xvii. 315 What you were in aid of..often was a mystery to me. 1956 ‘M. Innes’ Old Hall, New Hall viii. 70 He couldn't quite make out what Olivia's questions and speculations were in aid of. |
2. a. Eng. Law. Help or assistance in defending an action, legally claimed by the defendant from some one who has a joint-interest in the defence. to pray in aid: to claim such assistance. aid-prayer, the appeal therefor.
| 1625 Sir H. Finch Law (1636) 367 Ayd Prayer is for Tenant for life, to request him that hath the Inheritance, to helpe him plead..and this Ayd Prayer is for the feeblenesse of his estate. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v., A city or corporation, holding a fee-farm of the king, may pray in Aid of him, if anything be demanded of them relating thereto. 1809 Tomlins Law Dict. s.v., There is a prayer in aid of patrons, by parsons, vicars, etc... And also servants having done anything lawfully in right of their masters, shall have aid of them. |
b. to call or crave in aid, properly a legal phrase, also in a loose transf. use.
| 1927 Observer 8 May 16/2 Imagination craves the wireless in aid. 1928 Ibid. 1 July 13/4 Many [bishops]..would call in aid, as justifying their action, the use of the Jus Liturgicum inherent in their office. |
3. a. concr. Anything by which assistance is given in performing an operation; anything helpful, a means or material source of help. esp. in pl. aids and appliances. spec. in Horsemanship (see quot. 1751).
| 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. iii. 24 Surmise Of Aydes incertaine should not be admitted. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 465 Whom, scarce my Sheep, and scarce my painful Plough, The needful Aids of Human Life allow. 1711 F. Fuller Med. Gymn. 58 Exercise may deserve to be taken as a common Aid to Physick. 1751 Chambers Cycl., Aids, in the manage, are helps, or assistances, by which the horseman contributes towards the motion or action required of the horse; by a discreet use of the bridle, caveson, spur, etc... Such a horse knows his Aids, answers his Aids, etc. 1824 Coleridge (title) Aids to Reflection. 1858 Gladstone Homer I. 23 He has furnished us with some aids towards the consideration of this question. 1953 G. Brooke Introd. Riding i. 16 During the period that the novice is riding his first mount, he should learn the aids (correct and combined applications of his hands and legs). |
b. Freq. with defining word, as approach, artificial, hearing, homing, legal, radio-navigational, visual aid: see these words.
| 1924 Lancet 31 May 1140/2 A new acoustic aid for the deaf. 1955 Oxf. Jun. Encycl. XI. 128/2 Hearing may be greatly improved by the use of..electrical aids which amplify sounds. |
c. spec. Material help given by one country to another, esp. economic assistance or material help given by a rich to a poor or underdeveloped country. Also attrib. and Comb. Cf. Marshall.
| 1940 Economist 5 Oct. 421/1 The United States' aid to Britain would be rendered ineffective. 1946 Ann. Reg. 1945 100 The difficulties of procuring American aid for Britain on acceptable terms. 1951 Ann. Reg. 1950 337 The U.S. aid conventions with the Associated States [of Indo-China]. 1958 Spectator 17 Jan. 65/3 Congress would like to buy missiles with foreign-aid money. 1964 Listener 16 Apr. 614/1 Since the Soviet Union and..China have joined in the game of competitive aid-giving the Western Powers, it is argued, cannot afford to drop out. 1968 M. Pyke Food & Society xi. 165 Considerable thought has been given to the effectiveness of aid as a means of achieving the economic development and hence, presumably, the improved nutritional status, of poor countries. 1970 Theol. Stud. XXXI. 261 Such aid can also salve the conscience of Christians in the countries that control the world economy. 1974 M. B. Brown Econ. of Imperialism iv. 95 The underdeveloped countries complain also of the overpricing of goods and shipping in their manufactured imports from developed lands, particularly in the case of aid-supported supplies. 1981 Nat. Westminster Bank Q. Rev. Aug. 36 Aid, or official development assistance (ODA). |
d. As the second element in the names of events, etc., organized to raise money for particular charitable causes (see quots.), as Band Aid, Live Aid, etc.
Based on Band Aid, the name of the rock music group formed by Bob Geldof in Oct. 1984 to raise money for famine-relief in Ethiopia.
| 1984 Times 12 Dec. 3/2 Do They Know It's Christmas, [a record] on which Boy George, Sting, George Michael, members of Duran Duran, Status Quo, and U2 appear under the joint name of Band Aid. 1985 Music Week 2 Feb. 2/3 Britain has been the source of musically-based political commentary—from the mostly British composition of Band Aid to Frankie Goes to Hollywood. 1985 Times 11 July 32/1 The failure of Live Aid to penetrate the poorer countries is unlikely to affect adversely the amount of money it makes. Ibid. 5 Nov. 13/1 The fashion world is smouldering with gossip about Fashion Aid, which takes off like a rocket at the Albert Hall tonight. 1985 Sunday Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 29 Dec. 5/2 Other events such as Visual Aid, the sale of limited edition prints at auction, and School Aid, in which..school-children are to be asked to contribute pocket money for famine relief. 1986 Daily Tel. 24 Sept. 5/2 Top performers due to appear in ‘Classic Aid’ to raise money for refugee relief will include Vladimir Ashkenazy, [etc.]. |
4. Eng. Hist. A pecuniary grant in aid; a grant of a subsidy or tax to the king for an extraordinary purpose. Later, an exchequer loan.
| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim Mon. (1714) 52 For the expensis wherof, he schal not so sodenly have Ayde of his People. 1523 Ld. Berners Froissart I. ccclxxxvii. 663 The kyng and his counsayle wolde generally reyse vp throughe all Fraunce ayedes, fowages, tayles and subsydes. 1669 Marvell Corr. 130 Wks. 1875 II. 294 The House did..vote an aid to his Majesty not exceeding the summe of 400,000l. 1702 Lond. Gaz. mmmdcccix/8 Dropt..a Talley on the Fourth 4s. Aid of 1000l. No. 2058. 1862 Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. xii. 166 For the granting of an aid or supply to the crown. |
5. Feudal System. A pecuniary contribution by a feudal vassal to his lord; limited by Magna Carta to three special occasions.
| 1590 Swinburn Testaments 72 The lordes lost their..aids, ‘Pur faire fitz chiualer & pur file marier.’ 1649 Selden Laws of Eng. i. lxii. (1739) 125 The aids were of three kinds, one to make the Lord's eldest Son Knight, the other to marry his eldest Daughter; the third to help him to pay a relief to his Lord Paramount. 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v., The bishops also received aids, auxilia episcopi. 1768 Blackstone Comm. II. 63 Aids were originally mere benevolences granted by the tenant to his lord, in times of difficulty and distress. 1868 Chambers Encycl. I. 92 These Aids were abolished by 12 Car. II. c. 24. |
6. French Hist. (pl.) Customs-dues. Court of Aids, the Court that supervised the customs-dues.
| 1714 Fr. Bk. Rates 29 Mr. John Rouvelin, Farmer-General of our Aids. 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp., Aids, in French laws, denote a duty paid on all goods sold and transported either out of, or into the kingdom. 1792 A. Young Trav. France 20 The house of the first president of the court of aids. |
7. a. A person who renders help or assistance; a helper, an assistant; pl. auxiliaries. (Cf. Fr. aide, L. auxilium, and Eng. help, all applied to persons.)
| 1569 Epitaph on Bonner in Harl. Misc. I. 615 His ayds took always pain To keep their god, their hope, their trust. 1587 Holinshed Chron. I. 37/2 He had no legionarie souldiers, but certeine bands of aids. 1611 Bible Tobit viii. 6 It is not good that man should bee alone, let vs make vnto him an aide like to himselfe [cf. Wyclif Gen. ii. 18 An help lijk to him self]. 1738 Wesley Ps. cxxi. 1 The Lord that built the Earth and Skies Is my perpetual Aid. 1838 Arnold Rome I. 397 He was at the head of a mighty army; for the Latins and the Hernicans had brought their aids. |
b. U.S. = aide. See also aid-de-camp.
| 1780 S. Holten in Essex Inst. Coll. (1920) LVI. 94 One of General Lincoln's aids is arrived with the accounts of the surrender of Charlestown. 1832 J. P. Kennedy Swallow Barn I. xix. 190 Ned and myself formed part of his retinue, like a pair of aids somewhat behind the commander-in-chief. 1907 Chicago Tribune 8 May 2 Gen. A. W. Greely..arrived with his..aids. |
8. Comb. and attrib., chiefly in sense 7, as aid-band, aid-cohort, aid-force, aid-soldier; or in sense 5, as aid-money: (all obs.). Also aid-major obs. an adjutant; aid-post, a post at which wounded soldiers receive first medical attention; aid-prayer in Law: see 2.
| 1600 Holland Livy xxx. xxxiii. 763 c, Then he embattailed the aid souldiers [auxilia] of the Ligurians. 1603 Greenwey Tacitus Ann. xii. viii. (1622) 166 They intercepted two ayde-bandes. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. ii. 65 A small powre of Aid-forces. 1635 Bacon Use of Com. Law 32 Ayde money to make the Kings eldest son a knight, or to marry his eldest daughter. 1670 Cotton Espernon iii. xii. 632 The Office of Aide Major to the Regiment of Guards. 1691 Lond. Gaz. mmdcc/2 L'Assurance Aid-Major killed. 1916 ‘Boyd Cable’ Action Front 49 To walk..to the nearest aid-post and hospital. a 1917 E. A. Mackintosh War, the Liberator (1918) 149 The Aid Post was like a shambles with blood and wounded men. |