avail

Definitions

1. 1.To promote; to assist. [Obs.] Pope. To avail one's self of, to make use of; take advantage of. Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names. Milton. I have availed myself of the very first opportunity. Dickens.
2. 2.To be of use or advantage; to answer the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object; as, the plea in bar must avail, that is, be sufficient to defeat the suit; this scheme will not avail; medicines will not avail to check the disease. "What signs avail " Milton. Words avail very little with me, young man. Sir W. Scott.
3. 3.Profit; advantage toward success; benefit; value; as, labor, without economy, is of little avail. The avail of a deathbed repentance. Jer. Taylor.
4. 4.pl. Proceeds; as, the avails of a sale by auction. The avails of their own industry. Stoddard.
5. 5.See Avale, v. [Obs.] Spenser.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "avail" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is avail.

• What is profit; advantage toward success; benefit; value; as, labor, without economy, is of little avail. The avail of a deathbed repentance. Jer. Taylor called?
• What is pl. Proceeds; as, the avails of a sale by auction. The avails of their own industry. Stoddard called?