aidant

Etymology

From Middle English aydaunt, aydant, a borrowing from Old French aidant, from the verb aidier (“to aid, to help”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.dənt/

Adjective

aidant (comparative more aidant, superlative most aidant)

1. (obsolete) helpful, assisting
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     All you unpublished virtues of the earth, / Spring with my tears, be aidant and remediate / In the good man's distress!

Noun

aidant (plural aidants)

1. (rare) One who or that which aids; a helper.
   • 1883, Nathaniel Cleveland Moak, Reports of Cases Decided by the English Courts, page 540:

     He said, "The court is now called upon to be an aidant to the enforcement of a judgment in rem, given by the Portuguese court," and then he said […]

   • 1975, D. O. Wolfenbarger, Factors Affecting Dispersal Distances of Small Organisms, page 140:

     More hindrances appear evident than aidants, or perhaps more about hindrances and barriers is recognized.

Anagrams

• anatid, tanaid, Datian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [əjˈðan]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [əjˈðant]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ajˈðant]

Verb

aidant

1. gerund of aidar

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Participle

aidant

1. present participle of aider

Adjective

aidant (feminine aidante, masculine plural aidants, feminine plural aidantes)

1. helping

Noun

aidant m (plural aidants, feminine aidante)

1. helper

Further reading

• “aidant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Verb

aidant

1. present participle of aider

Adjective

aidant m (oblique and nominative feminine singular aidant)

1. ready or in agreement to help, to assist