avail
nounEtymology From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valere (“to be worthy, strong”).
8 senses
1
Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions).
- I tried fixing it to no avail.
- Labor, without economy, is of little avail.
3 more examples
- Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 071:
- At half-time, Poyet replaced Wes Brown with Liam Bridcutt in the heart of defence and sent out the rest of the players to atone for their first-half mistakes. To no avail.2014 October 18, Paul Doyle, “Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter”, in The Guardian:
- The announcement was made in Leeds - the largest city in Europe without a mass transit system. It's also a city which has been doggedly pressing (to little avail) for an integrated transport system for two decades.2024 December 11, Richard Wilcock, “Strategy offers a chance to reset local transport planning”, in RAIL, number 1024, page 10:
2
US Proceeds; profits from business transactions.
- the avails of their own industry1862, Elijah Porter Barrows, The State And Slavery:
3
Advertising, Broadcasting, Business, Marketing, Media, Television An advertising slot or package.
- The salesperson at an affiliate TV station might prepare an avail which offers two weeks of spots in early and late news[…].1994, Barry L. Sherman, Telecommunications Management: Broadcasting/cable and the New Technologies, →ISBN, page 353:
- At an avail, the ad server plays out the MPEG-2 audio/video elementary streams.2004, Walter S. Ciciora et al., Modern Cable Television Technology: Video, Voice, and Data Communications, →ISBN, page 123:
4
Government, Journalism, Media, Politics US A press avail.
- While holding an avail yesterday, the candidate lashed out at critics.
5
Acting, Broadcasting, Entertainment, Film, Lifestyle, Media, Television, Theater UK Non-binding notice of availability for work.
6
A readily available stock of oil.
- Total crude oil avails (production plus purchases) of even highly "self-sufficient" refiners are far greater than their reported refinery inputs.1967, Interstate Compact on Oil and Gas (10th Extension), page 95:
7
Obsolete Benefit; value, profit; advantage toward success.
- I shal take the aduenture sayd Balen that god wille ordeyne me / but the swerd ye shalle not haue at this tyme by the feythe of my body / ye shalle repente hit within short tyme sayd the damoysel/ For I wold haue the swerd more for your auaylle than for myne / for I am passyng heuy for your sake1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “ij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book II:
- hardy Citizens[…]sticke not to sacrifice their honours and consciences, as those of old, their lives, for their Countries availe and safety.1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 1, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book III, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
1 more example
- So this friar, unworthy as he was of his holy calling, had me at an avail on every side, nor do I yet see what I could do but obey him, as I did.1895, Andrew Lang, A Monk of Fife:
- And ev'n now, though he breathless lies, his sails / Are struggling with the winds, for our avails / T'explore a passage hid from human tract, / Will fame him in the enterprise or fact.1613, Thomas Campion, “Songs of Mourning”, in Poetical Works (in English) of Thomas Campion, published 1907, page 125:
- Derived terms
- of no avail, to little avail, to no avail