succour
Plural: succours
Noun
- assistance in time of difficulty
- Aid, assistance, or relief given to one in distress; ministration.
- Aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers, especially reinforcements sent to support military action.
- Protection, refuge, shelter; (countable) a place providing such protection, refuge or shelter.
Verb
Verb Forms: succoured, succouring, succours
- To give assistance and support in times of hardship or distress.
- help in a difficult situation
- To give aid, assistance, or help.
- To provide aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers; in particular, for helping a place under siege.
- To protect, to shelter; to provide a refuge.
Examples
- A timely ’SUCCOUR’ play provided much-needed relief to his struggling Scrabble score.
Origin / Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English socour, interpreted as the singular form of socours (“help; encouragement; remedy; protection; helper, protector”), which is from Anglo-Norman socurs, sucurs and Old French secors, secours (modern French secours), from Medieval Latin succursus (participle), from Latin succurrēre (“to run to the help of”), from Latin sub- (“from below”) + Latin currere (“run”).
The verb is derived from Middle English socouren (“to help”), from Anglo-Norman socure (compare modern French secourir), also from Latin succurrēre.
Synonyms
ministration, relief, succor, abet, aid, assist, befriend, bestead, come to someone's aid, give someone a hand, grip, help, help out, lend a hand, lend a helping hand, mend, relieve, stead, succour, support, sustain
Scrabble Score: 11
succour: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordsuccour: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
succour: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary