Also 5–6 avantage, 6 advauntage. [a. Fr. avantage-r, -ier, to cause advantage. For change from a- to ad- see ADVANCE.] To do, bring, or be of, advantage to.
1. To give an advantage or superiority to, favor.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, IV. i. 117. Souldiers of great experience … should be aduantaged in their payes.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah Sight, I. xii. 38. Judea, advantaged with the friendly City of Jerusalem.
1654. E. Johnson, Wonder-wrkg. Provid., 192. Although Charles Town do not advantage such o’re-topping batteries as Boston doth.
1871. Lowell, Study Windows, 96. Boston was also advantaged with the neighbourhood of the country’s oldest College.
† b. To place advantageously. Obs.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah Sight, II. iv. 115. All the cities of refuge on this side Jordan were advantaged on very high foundations. Ibid. (1662), Worthies (1840), III. 116. Advantaged for western voyages by its situation.
† c. To set off to advantage. Obs.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), V. 303. How dress advantages women!
2. To further, promote, advance, contribute to the progress of (anything).
1586. J. Hooker, Giraldus’s Hist. Irel., in Holinsh., II. 84/2. Hereby he … aduantaged the flight of his capteine.
1651. Hobbes, Gov. & Soc., vi. § 4. 113. It would no whit advantage the liberty of the subject.
c. 1681. Sir T. Browne, Tracts, 6. Variously interspersed expressions from plants, elegantly advantaging the significancy of the Text.
1692. Washington, trans. Milion’s Def. Pop., ii. (1851), 62. Nor do you much advantage your cause by telling us Moses was a king.
1858. Bright, Sp. (1876), 301. The agriculture of this country has been advantaged by the importation of reaping machines.
† 3. To add to the amount or value of. Obs.
1496–7. Plumpton, Corr., 129. I have done good ther and avantaged much wood and tymber.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 323. Aduantaging their Loue [? loan] with interest Of ten-times double gain of happiness.
1640. Fuller, Abel Rediv., Foxe (1867), II. 81. Friendship … advantaged with the sympathy of their natures.
1673. Ray, Journ. Low Countries, Pref. To advantage the Catalogue I have added thereto a brief narrative.
4. To put in a better position, prove beneficial to, benefit, profit.
1530. Palsgr., 440. This can nothyng avauntage you.
1647. Fuller, Holy War, II. xxix. 81. Some think their coming advantaged King Baldwine.
1660. T. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 91/1. [I] have advantaged all that conversed with me.
1686. W. de Britaine, Hum. Prud., § 22. 108. Winds, which if they do not throw down, do advantage Trees.
a. 1754. Fielding, Wife at Home, III. vi. Wks. 1784, II. 40. If you are not advantaged by the stratagem, you will be disadvantaged by the discovery.
1848. Ruskin, Mod. Painters, II. III. II. iv. § 9. 191. How far it would be possible to advantage a statue by the addition of colour, I venture not to affirm.
† b. impersonal. To profit, benefit. Obs.
1526. Tindale, Luke ix. 25. What shall itt avauntage a man?
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Paraphr., 1 Cor. x. 5. Nothyng aduauntaged them to escape out of Egipte, if they caried furthe Egipte with them.
1611. Bible, 1 Cor. xv. 32. What aduantageth it me, if the dead rise not?
† c. absol. Obs.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. i. 34. Make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little aduantage.
1668. Child, Disc. Trade (1694), 57. To leave them money without skill to use it, would advantage little.
† 5. refl. To benefit oneself. To advantage oneself of, with: to take advantage of. Obs.
1598. Yong, Diana, 187. Yet will I not aduantage me with any such remedy.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, II. viii. (1632), 212. No man of courage vouchsafeth to advantage himselfe of that which is common unto many.
1615. T. Adams, Lycanthropy, 31. They will be sure to advantage themselves of the wind.
1693. Mem. Count Teckely, II. 149. The Christians sought for nothing but advantaging themselves at the expence of the Turks.
† 6. To gain, profit. Obs.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), Luke xix. 15. To wyt what euery man had auantaged.
