Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To be of use or advantage to; help.
- intransitive verb To be of use, value, or advantage; serve.
- noun Use, benefit, or advantage.
- idiom (avail (oneself) of) To make use of.
from The Century Dictionary.
- See
avale . - noun Advantage, profit, or benefit, in a general sense; also, value or estimation.
- noun Efficacy for a purpose; advantage to an object or end: now used chiefly in negative phrases, or sentences of negative import: as, of little or no avail; I doubt whether it will be of much avail.
- noun plural Profits or proceeds: as, the avails of a sale by auction.
- noun Returns.
- To have value or use; be of service or advantage; give profit: as, wealth avails little to a castaway.
- To have force or efficacy; serve for a purpose; give aid toward an end: as, his cries availed to bring relief.
- To take or draw advantage; make use or profit.
- To be for the advantage of; assist or profit: as, what will skill avail us against numbers?
- To promote; prosper; assist: said of things.
- To advantage; profit; give the benefit to: used reflexively, with of: as, he availed himself of the opportunity.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To be of use or advantage; to answer the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object
- transitive verb To turn to the advantage of; to be of service to; to profit; to benefit; to help.
- transitive verb obsolete To promote; to assist.
- transitive verb to make use of; take advantage of.
- noun Profit; advantage toward success; benefit; value.
- noun Proceeds.
- verb obsolete See
avale , v.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To turn to the
advantage of - verb transitive To be of
service to. - verb transitive To
promote ; toassist . - verb intransitive To be of
use or advantage; to answer or serve thepurpose ; to have strength, force, orefficacy sufficient to accomplish the object. - verb India, Africa To
provide . - noun obsolete, poetic
Effort ;striving . - noun television, advertising An advertising
slot orpackage . - noun US, politics, journalism A
press avail . - noun UK, acting Non-binding notice of
availability for work. - noun oil industry A readily available
stock ofoil .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb take or use
- verb be of use to, be useful to
- noun a means of serving
- verb use to one's advantage
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word avail.
Examples
-
You reported on the usage of the word avail as shorthand or shortspeak for availability.
-
You reported on the usage of the word avail as shorthand or shortspeak for availability.
-
Writers in England who argue for contribution in money ask: "Of what avail is the presence of a few cruisers in Canadian waters?"
-
Jane writes to her sister: Charles has received £30 for his share in the privateer, and expects £10 more; but of what avail is it to take prizes if he lays out the produce in presents to his sisters?
-
Of what avail is all that you have let me learn, all the Sanskrit and English and other things, an I am less able to help myself than the woman who grinds the corn for our daily bread?
-
During the meeting, the two officials agreed to assign a joint-team of specialists and technicians to draft a cooperation protocol enabling Yemen to avail from the Spanish experience in fisheries.
-
257 In the text he tells of the whole story beginning with the eunuch and the hundred dinars, the chest, etc.: but — “of no avail is a twice-told tale.”
-
Luna tries to hunt desert rabbits, to no avail, which is good.
-
When his power ceases to avail, that is when a stronger than he appears upon the scene, he is himself liable to be despoiled and killed.
Freedom In Service Six Essays on Matters Concerning Britain's Safety and Good Government
-
I have you fast, and little will your sword avail you '; then followed loud blows against the wall.
miae commented on the word avail
Avail, as in “totes avail” meaning “totally available.”
October 4, 2011