عَوْنٌ

(S, Mgh, K) and ↓ مَعُونَةٌ (S, Mgh, Msb, K) and ↓ مَعْوُنَةٌ, (K, TA,) with damm to the و, agreeably, with analogy, (TA, [in the CK written مَعْوَنَةٌ,]) and ↓ مَعَانَةٌ (S, Msb, K) and ↓ مَعُونٌ, (S, K,) [respecting the second and last of which see what follows,] are simply substs., (Mgh, Msb, K,) and signify Aid, help, or assistance: (S, Mgh, * Msb, * K: *) عَوْنٌ is one of those quasi-inf. ns. that govern like the verbal noun, i. e. like the verb; as in the saying,

إِذَا صَحَّ عَوْنُ الخَالِقِ الْمَرْءَ لَمْ يَجِدْ

عَسِيراً مِنَ الامَالِ إِلَّا مُيَسَّرَا

[When the Creator's aiding the man is true, he will not find such as is difficult, of hopes, otherwise than facilitated]: (I 'Ak, § إِعْمَالُ المَصْدَرِ:) or, according to AHei, it is a verbal noun [having no verb]: (TA:) ↓ مَعُونَةٌ is of the measure مَقْعُلَةٌ, (Az, Msb, TA,) from العَوْنُ; (Az, TA;) or, as some say, of the measure فَعُولَةٌ, from المَاعُونُ: (Az, Msb, TA:) one says, مَا عِنْدَكَ مَعُونَةٌ and ↓ مَعَانَةٌ and عَوْنٌ [i. e. There is not with thee any aid]: (S:) and ↓ مَا أَخْلَانِى فُلَانٌ مِنْ مَعَاوِنِهِ [Such a one did not make me to be destitute of his aids]; مَعَاوِنُ being plural of مَعُونَةٌ: (S, TA:) ↓ مَعُونٌ is said by Ks to be synonym with مَعُونَةٌ; (S;) and he says that it is the only masculine of the measure مَفْعُلٌ except مَكْرُمٌ: (TA:) an example of it occurs in a verse of Jemeel cited voce أَىُّ: Fr says that it is plural [virtually, though not in the language of the grammarians,] of مَعُونَةٌ; (S, TA;) and that there is no singular of the measure مَفْعُلٌ. (S. [On this point, see مَأْلُكٌ, voce أَلُوكٌ.])

Also An aid, as meaning an aider, a helper, or an assistant, (S, Msb, K,) to perform, or accomplish, an affair; (S, Msb;) applied to a single person, (K, TA,) and also to two, (TA,) and to a plural number, (K, TA,) and to a male, (TA,) and to a female: (K, TA:) and [particularly] a servant: (Har p. 95:) [and an armed attendant, a guard, or an officer, of a king, and of a prefect of the police, and the like:] and ↓ عَوَانِيُّ is an appellation applied to an عَوْن [or armed attendant, or a guard,] who accompanies a Sultán, without pay, or allowance: (TA in article تأر:) أَعْوَانٌ is plural of عَوْنٌ; (Lth, S, Msb, K;) and ↓ عَوِينٌ is a quasi-plural n., (K,) said by AA to be synonym with أَعْوَانٌ, and Fr says the like. (TA.) The Arabs say, السَّنَةُ جَاءَتْ مَعَهَا أَعْوَانُهَا, meaning When drought comes, [its aiders] the locusts and the flies and diseases come with it. (TA.) And عَوْنٌ signifies Anything that aids, helps, or assists, one: for instance, [one says,] الصَّوْمُ عَوْنُ العِبَادَةِ [Fasting is the aider of religious service]. (Lth, TA.)

See also what next follows.