auxiliary

From Latin auxiliārius (“assistant, ally”), equiv. to auxiliāris (“helping, aiding”), from auxilium (“help, aid”), from augēre (“to increase”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɔːkˈsɪljəɹi/, IPA^(key): /ɔːkˈsɪli.əɹi/, IPA^(key): /ɔːkˈsɪləɹi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɔɡˈzɪljəɹi/, IPA^(key): /ɔɡˈzɪliɛɹi/, IPA^(key): /ɔɡˈzɪləɹi/
• (cot-caught merged) IPA^(key): /ɑɡˈzɪljəɹi/, IPA^(key): /ɑɡˈzɪliɛɹi/, IPA^(key): /ɑɡˈzɪləɹi/

auxiliary (not comparable)

1. Helping; giving assistance or support.

   auxiliary troops

   Synonyms: ancillary, accessory

2. Supplementary or subsidiary.
3. Held in reserve for exceptional circumstances.
4. (nautical) Of a ship, having both sails and an engine.
5. (grammar) Relating to an auxiliary verb.

• (supplementary): accessory
• (having sails and engine): motorsailer

auxiliary (plural auxiliaries)

1. A person or group that acts in an auxiliary manner.
2. A sailing vessel equipped with an engine.
3. (grammar) An auxiliary verb.
   • 1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 151:

     The three traditionally recognized Non-modal Auxiliaries are the per-
     fective Auxiliary have, the progressive Auxiliary be, and the passive Auxiliary
     be. Perfective have is so-called because it marks the completion (hence, perfec-
     tion) of an action; it is followed by a VP headed by a perfective -n participle, as
     in:
     (121)    The referee has [_VP shown him the red card]

4. A marching band colorguard.

• auction
• auctioneer
• augment
• augmentation

• axillary

• auxiliary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• auxiliary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.