Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Avail

Avail ({not transcribed}) , transitive verb

[Old English availen, from French {not transcribed} (Latin ad) + valoir to be worth, from Latin valere to be strong, to be worth. See Valiant.]

1.
To turn to the advantage of; to be of service to; to profit; to benefit; to help; as, artifices will not avail the sinner in the day of judgment.
O, what avails me now that honor high! — Milton
2.
To promote; to assist. [Obsolete] — Pope
Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names. — Milton
I have availed myself of the very first opportunity. — Dickens
Collocations (1)
To avail one's self of , to make use of; take advantage of.

Avail , intransitive verb

To be of use or advantage; to answer the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object; as, the plea in bar must avail, that is, be sufficient to defeat the suit; this scheme will not avail; medicines will not avail to check the disease.
What signs avail? — Milton
Words avail very little with me, young man. — Sir W. Scott

Avail ({not transcribed}) , noun

1.
Profit; advantage toward success; benefit; value; as, labor, without economy, is of little avail.
The avail of a deathbed repentance. — Jer. Taylor
2.
Proceeds; as, the avails of a sale by auction.
The avails of their own industry. — Stoddard

Avail , verb, transitive and intransitive

See Avale, v. [Obsolete] — Spenser