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Boon vs Help - What's the difference?

boon | help | Related terms |

Boon is a related term of help.


As nouns the difference between boon and help

is that boon is (obsolete) a prayer; petition or boon can be the woody portion of flax, separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching while help is (uncountable) action given to provide assistance; aid.

As an adjective boon

is (obsolete) good; prosperous; as, "boon voyage".

As a verb help is

to provide assistance to (someone or something).

boon

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A prayer; petition.
  • * :
  • For which to God he made so many an idle boon
  • (archaic) That which is asked or granted as a benefit or favor; a gift; a favour; benefaction; a grant; a present.
  • * :
  • Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above
  • * 1872 , (James De Mille), The Cryptogram :
  • I gave you life. Can you not return the boon by giving me death, my lord?
  • A good; a blessing or benefit; a great privilege; a thing to be thankful for.
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Catherine Clabby
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Focus on Everything , passage=Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.
  • An unpaid service due by a tenant to his lord.
  • Synonyms
    * blessing * benefit
    Antonyms
    * bane

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) boon, bone, from .

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) good; prosperous; as, "boon voyage"
  • kind; bountiful; benign
  • * Milton
  • Which Nature boon / Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain.
  • gay; merry; jovial; convivial
  • * Arbuthnot
  • a boon companion, loving his bottle
  • * Episode 16
  • --No, Mr Bloom repeated again, I wouldn't personally repose much trust in that boon companion of yours who contributes the humorous element, if I were in your shoes.
    Quotations
    * Which ... Nature boon Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain — * A boon companion, loving his bottle —

    Etymology 3

    From Gaelic and Irish via Scots.

    Noun

    (-)
  • The woody portion of flax, separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching.
  • (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    help

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid.
  • I need some help with my homework.
  • (usually, uncountable) Something or someone which provides assistance with a task.
  • He was a great help to me when I was moving house.
    I've printed out a list of math helps .
  • Documentation provided with computer software, etc. and accessed using the computer.
  • I can't find anything in the help about rotating an image.
  • (usually, uncountable) One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise.
  • The help is coming round this morning to clean.
    Most of the hired help is seasonal, for the harvest.
  • (uncountable, euphemistic) Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training.
  • His suicide attempts were a cry for help .
    He really needs help in handling customer complaints.
    ''"He's a real road-rager." / "Yup, he really needs help , maybe anger management."
    Usage notes
    The sense "people employed to help in the maintenance of a house" is usually an uncountable mass noun. A countable form - "a hired help''", "''two hired helps " - is attested, but now less common.
    Synonyms
    * (action given to provide assistance) aid, assistance * (person or persons who provide assistance) * (person employed to help in the maintenance of a house)
    Derived terms
    * cry for help * help desk * helpful * helpless * helpline * helply * helpmate * helpmeet * helpsome * home help * self-help

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) helpen, from (etyl) . Cognate with (etyl) .

    Verb

  • To provide assistance to (someone or something).
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=76, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Snakes and ladders , passage=Risk is everywhere.
  • To contribute in some way to.
  • To provide assistance.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=19 citation , passage=As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help , and he stripped off his tunic at once.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= A punch in the gut , passage=Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}
  • To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can .
  • Usage notes
    * Use 3 is often used in the imperative mood as a call for assistance. * In uses 1, 2 and 3, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . It can also take the bare infinitive with no change in meaning. * In use 4, can't help is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) or, with but, the bare infinitive. * For more information, see
    Synonyms
    * (provide assistance to) aid, assist, come to the aid of, help out * (contribute in some way to) contribute to * (provide assistance) assist
    Derived terms
    * a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down * can't help * helper * helping * help oneself * help out