Avail word meaning and definition

[noun] a means of serving; "of no avail"; "there's no help for it"
[verb] use to one's advantage; "He availed himself of the available resources"
[verb] take or use; "She helped herself to some of the office supplies"
[verb] be of use to, be useful to; "It will avail them to dispose of their booty"

\A*vail"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Availed} (?); p. pr. & vb. n. {Availing}.] [OE. availen, fr. F. ? (L. ad) + valoir to be worth, fr. L. valere to be strong, to be worth. See {Valiant}.] 1. To turn to the advantage of; to be of service to; to profit; to benefit; to help; as, artifices will not avail the sinner in the day of judgment. O, what avails me now that honor high ! --Milton. 2. 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.
\A*vail"\, v. i. 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.
\A*vail"\, n. 1. Profit; advantage toward success; benefit; value; as, labor, without economy, is of little avail. The avail of a deathbed repentance. --Jer. Taylor. 2. pl. Proceeds; as, the avails of a sale by auction. The avails of their own industry. --Stoddard. Syn: Use; benefit; utility; profit; service.
\A*vail"\, v. t. & i. See {Avale}, v. [Obs.] --Spenser.

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