aid 
(ād)
(ād)v. aid·ed, aid·ing, aids
v.tr.
To provide assistance, support, or relief to: aided the researchers in their discovery; aided the prisoners' attempt to escape.
v.intr.
To provide assistance, support, or relief: aided in the effort to improve services to the elderly.
n.
1. The act or result of helping; assistance: gave aid to the enemy.
2.
a. Something that provides help, support, or relief, such as money or supplies: sent medical aid to the region after the storm.
b. Something, such as a device, that provides improvement: visual aids such as slides.
3.
a. An assistant or helper.
b. An aide or aide-de-camp.
4. A monetary payment to a feudal lord by a vassal in medieval England.
[Middle English aiden, from Old French aider, from Latin adiūtāre, frequentative of adiuvāre, to help : ad-, to; see ad- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + iuvāre, to help.]
aider n.