n. & v.
n. 1 help. 2 financial or material help, esp. given by one country to another. 3 a material source of help (teaching aid). 4 a person or thing that helps. 5 hist. a grant of subsidy or tax to a king.
v.tr. 1 (often foll. by to + infin.) help. 2 promote or encourage (sleep will aid recovery). in aid of in support of. what's this (or all this) in aid of? colloq. what is the purpose of this?
[ ME f. OF aïde, aïdier, ult. f. L adjuvare (as AD-, juvare jut- help) ]