Avoid and Help

avoid

Stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something.
- usage: "Her former friends now avoid her"
Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening.
- usage: "Let's avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike"
- synonyms: debar, forefend, forfend, obviate, deflect, avert, head off, stave off, fend off, ward off
Refrain from doing something.
- usage: "She refrains from calling her therapist too often"; "He should avoid publishing his wife's memories"
Refrain from certain foods or beverages.
- usage: "I keep off drugs"; "During Ramadan, Muslims avoid tobacco during the day"
- synonyms: keep off
Declare invalid.
- usage: "The contract was annulled"; "void a plea"
- synonyms: invalidate, annul, quash, void, nullify

(a.) To make void; to annul or vacate; to refute.
(a.) To emit or throw out; to void; as, to avoid excretions.
(v.i.) To become void or vacant.
(a.) To get rid of.
(a.) To keep away from; to keep clear of; to endeavor no to meet; to shun; to abstain from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters.
(a.) To defeat or evade; to invalidate. Thus, in a replication, the plaintiff may deny the defendant's plea or confess it, and avoid it by stating new matter.
(a.) To empty.
(v.i.) To retire; to withdraw.
(a.) To quit or evacuate; to withdraw from.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

help

The activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.
- usage: "he gave me an assist with the housework"; "could not walk without assistance"; "rescue party went to their aid"; "offered his help in unloading"
- synonyms: aid, assist, assistance
A person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.
- usage: "my invaluable assistant"; "they hired additional help to finish the work"
- synonyms: assistant, helper, supporter
A resource.
- usage: "visual aids in teaching"
- synonyms: aid, assistance
A means of serving.
- usage: "of no avail"; "there's no help for it"
- synonyms: avail, service

Give help or assistance; be of service.
- usage: "Everyone helped out during the earthquake"; "Can you help me carry this table"; "She never helps around the house"
- synonyms: assist, aid
Improve the condition of.
- usage: "These pills will help the patient"
- synonyms: aid
Be of use.
- usage: "This will help to prevent accidents"
- synonyms: facilitate
Abstain from doing; always used with a negative.
- usage: "I can't help myself-I have to smoke"; "She could not help watching the sad spectacle"
- synonyms: help oneself
Help to some food; help with food or drink.
- usage: "I served him three times, and after that he helped himself"
- synonyms: serve
Contribute to the furtherance of.
- usage: "This money will help the development of literacy in developing countries"
Take or use.
- usage: "She helped herself to some of the office supplies"
- synonyms: avail
Improve; change for the better.
- usage: "New slipcovers will help the old living room furniture"

(v.t.) Specifically, a domestic servant, man or woman.
(v.i.) To lend aid or assistance; to contribute strength or means; to avail or be of use; to assist.
(v.t.) To forbear; to avoid.
(v.t.) Remedy; relief; as, there is no help for it.
(v.t.) To furnish with relief, as in pain or disease; to be of avail against; -- sometimes with of before a word designating the pain or disease, and sometimes having such a word for the direct object.
(v.t.) To furnish with the means of deliverance from trouble; as, to help one in distress; to help one out of prison.
(v.t.) To furnish with strength or means for the successful performance of any action or the attainment of any object; to aid; to assist; as, to help a man in his work; to help one to remember; -- the following infinitive is commonly used without to; as, "Help me scale yon balcony.".
(v.t.) A helper; one hired to help another; also, thew hole force of hired helpers in any business.
(v.t.) Strength or means furnished toward promoting an object or deliverance from difficulty or distress; aid; ^; also, the person or thing furnishing the aid; as, he gave me a help of fifty dollars.
(v.t.) To prevent; to hinder; as, the evil approaches, and who can help it?.
(v.t.) To change for the better; to remedy.
(v.t.) To wait upon, as the guests at table, by carving and passing food.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary