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v. aid·ed, aid·ing, aids v.tr. To provide assistance, support, or relief to: aided the researchers in their discovery; aided the prisoners' attempt to escape. v.intr. To provide assistance, support, or relief: aided in the effort to improve services to the elderly. n. 1. The act or result of helping; assistance: gave aid to the enemy. 2. a. Something that provides help, support, or relief, such as money or supplies: sent medical aid to the region after the storm. b. Something, such as a device, that provides improvement: visual aids such as slides. 3. a. An assistant or helper. b. An aide or aide-de-camp. 4. A monetary payment to a feudal lord by a vassal in medieval England. [Middle English aiden, from Old French aider, from Latin adiūtāre, frequentative of adiuvāre, to help : ad-, to; see ad- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + iuvāre, to help.] aider n. |
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