Forms: 4–7 au- avail(e, auavayle, 4–5 au- availl(e, aveile, 5–6 au- avaylle, avayl, aduayle, 4– avail. North. 4–5 avalȝe, awaill, awailȝe, awayle, 5–6 awale: see AV-. [Not in Fr.; apparently formed on the simple VAIL v. (ad. F. vaille, f. valoir to be worth:—L. valēre) as if this were an aphetic form; cf. gree, agree, mount, amount, etc. Both vb. and sb. were occas. spelt advayle in 15–16th c. on assumed L. analogies: see AD- pref. 2. In senses 1–3 chiefly in negative or interrogative sentences.]
I. Regular senses.
1. intr. To have force or efficacy for the accomplishment of a purpose; to be effectual, serviceable, or of use; to afford help.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 90. Quat bote is to sette traueil On thyng þat may not auail.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 357. But all aduayled ryght nought.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 23. Zellicum … availeth against venome.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 68. This labor … too no great purpose auayleth.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 312. But prayer against his absolute Decree No more availes than breath against the winde.
1718. Pope, Iliad, VII. 176. Nor aught the warrior’s thundering mace avail’d.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, i. ‘Words avail very little with me, young man,’ said my father.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., iii. 69. No ingenuity can avail to confound them.
† b. of persons. Obs.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xx. 204. Thanne of his knyhtes he axede counsaille, Ȝif to that roche they cowden owght availle.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apophth., 4. I auaile moche more, saieth he, in that I teach all thother Phisicians.
c. Avalȝe que valȝe (mod.F. vaille que vaille): let it avail what it may, come what may.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 147. Thai wuld defend, avalȝe que valȝe.
[1552. Lyndesay, Papyngo, 161. I wyll, said scho, ascend, vailze quod vailȝe.]
2. intr. To be of value, profit or advantage.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 336. For knawlage off mony statis May quhile awailȝe full mony gatis.
1538. Starkey, England, 37. What avaylyth hyt to have ryches … to hym wych can not by wysdome use them.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 46. Whilst counsel auayled, Then we were of reckning.
1844. Disraeli, Coningsby, VII. vii. 275. What avail his golden youth, his high blood … if they help not now?
3. trans. (the obj. was at first dative.) To be of use or advantage to; to benefit, profit; to help, assist: a. a person.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7992. Þou folu it [consail], þe sal it a-wail.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 363. Al hir compleynt … avayleth hir not a stre.
1465. Paston Lett., 498, II. 175. They [will] not [be] so avaylled as they weene.
1611. Bible, Esther v. 13. All this auaileth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the kings gate.
1742. Richardson, Pamela, IV. 209. What avails it me to oppose them?
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, II. v. 89. Right pious words! but they will not avail thee.
† b. a thing (e.g., a cause, disease). Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 20. If this may done gladnesse To any louer, and his cause aueile.
1576. Baker, Gesner’s Jewell of Health, 89 b. This also much avayleth and helpeth any passion of the bodie.
† 4. refl. To benefit or advantage oneself.
1787. G. White, Selborne, v. (1789), 14. They availed themselves greatly by spinning wool.
5. esp. To avail oneself of (in Shaksp., elliptically, To avail of): a. to benefit oneself or profit by; to take advantage of, turn to account. With indirect passive, esp. in U.S.)
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., III. i. 243. But how of this can shee auaile?
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 515. Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names, Places, and titles.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 1. 1. I … availed myself of my position to make an excursion into North Wales.
1861. Emerson, Cond. Life, 24. Power … must be availed of, and not by any means let off and wasted.
b. to make use of, use, employ.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ. (1778), I. 119. La Fleur availed himself but of two different terms of exclamation in this encounter.
1838. Dickens, Lett. (1880), I. 7. I have availed myself of the very first opportunity of writing.
6. To avail upon (a person): to take advantage of, impose upon. rare.
1866. Carlyle, Remin. (1881), II. 115. ‘Very independent’ where mere rank etc. attempted to avail upon him.
7. causal. To give (a person) the benefit or advantage of; hence ellipt. to give him the advantage of knowing, to inform, assure of. (Only in U.S.)
1785. T. Jefferson, Corr., Wks. 1859, I. 418. It will rest, therefore, with you, to avail Mr. Barclay of that fund. Ibid. (1789), Writ. (1859), III. 22. I shall avail government of the useful information I have received from you.
a. 1794. Witherspoon, Wks., IV. 296 (Bartlett). The members of a popular government should be continually availed of the situation and condition of every part.
1843. Mrs. Trollope, Barnabys in Amer., xviii. 119. ‘We should have got no invites, you may be availed of that, I expect.’
II. Isolated senses after L. valēre.
† 8. intr. To do well, prosper, profit. Obs.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. viii. 6. Your besynesse shall auayle moche the better.
1560. Whitehorne, Arte Warre (1573), 98 b. To take the commoditie from the enemie, that he availe not by the things of thy country.
1563. Hyll, Arte Garden. (1593), 44. Al such partes which may be holpen by cooling, may with the iuice of it … annointed on those places, greatly auaile.
† 9. trans. To be worth or equivalent to. Obs.
1582–8. Hist. Jas. VI. (1804), 25. A ressonabill pecuniall sowme, availling a thowsand punds money of Scotland.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, III. ii. 70. One shot well bestowed, auayleth many vnaduisedly spent.
