source: Aoi Yamada - Absolute Territory

verb with object

1. literary help or benefit:

〈物･事が〉〈人･事〉に役立つ(help)

e.g. no amount of struggle availed Charles.

2. Indian use or take advantage of (an opportunity or available resource). See also avail oneself of:

｟かたい書｠ Aを利用する, Aに乗じる(make use of)

e.g. you can avail discounts on food

e.g. no object : students in the district avail of the free meal scheme in schools.

noun (usually in phrases of no avail or to no avail)

use or benefit:

｟かたく｠ 〖通例否定文･疑問文で〗利益(advantage), 効用, 効力, 甲斐

e.g. he begged her to reconsider, but to no avail

e.g. calls to tech support have been of no avail

e.g. Latin was of little avail in the practical affairs of life.

archaic (of an action) be of no help at all to someone:

e.g. this protest availed her nothing.

formal use or take advantage of (an opportunity or available resource):

e.g. my daughter did not avail herself of my advice.

Middle English: from obsolete vail ‘be of use or value’ (apparently on the pattern of pairs such as amount, mount), from Old French valoir, from Latin valere ‘be strong, be of value’.