boon

See also bon

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /buːn/

  Rhymes: -uːn

Etymology 1

From Middle English boon (“prayer”), from Old Norse bόn (“prayer, petition”), from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāni-, *bʰā- (“to say”). Influenced by boon (“good, favorable”, a). Cognate with Swedish bön (“prayer, petition, request”), Danish bøn (“prayer”), Old English bēn (“prayer, request, favor, compulsory service”). More at ben.

Noun

boon (plural boons)

1. (obsolete) A prayer; petition.
2. (archaic) That which is asked or granted as a benefit or favor; a gift; a favour; benefaction; a grant; a present.

   • Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above — James I. 17

3. A good; a blessing or benefit; a great privilege; a thing to be thankful for.

   Finding the dry cave was a boon to the weary travellers.

   Anaesthetics are a great boon to modern surgery.

4. (UK dialectal) An unpaid service due by a tenant to his lord.

Quotations

• For which to God he made so many an idle boon — Edmund Spenser

Synonyms

• blessing
• benefit

Antonyms

• bane

Translations

A blessing or benefit

Bulgarian: благодат (bg) f. Dutch: zegen (nl),voordeel (nl), Portuguese: benção (pt) f.

Russian: благо (ru) n., благодать (ru) f. Spanish: bendición (es) f., ventaja (es) f.

a gift; a benefaction; a grant; a present

Bulgarian: дар (bg) m., благодеяние (bg) n. Dutch: gift (nl),geschenk (nl),

Russian: дар (ru) m., благодеяние (ru) (blagodejánije) n.

a prayer or petition

Bulgarian: молба (bg) f. Dutch: gebed (nl),verzoek (nl),

Russian: мольба (ru) f. Spanish: oración (es) f.

Etymology 2

From Middle English boon, bone, from Old Northern French boon, Old French bon (“good”), from Latin bonus (“good”), from Old Latin duonus, dvenos, from Proto-Indo-European *dū- (“to respect”).

Adjective

boon (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) good; prosperous; as, "boon voyage"
2. kind; bountiful; benign
3. gay; merry; jovial; convivial

   He was a boon companion to have around

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Episode 16

     --No, Mr Bloom repeated again, I wouldn't personally repose much trust in that boon companion of yours who contributes the humorous element, if I were in your shoes.

Translations

kind; bountiful; benign

Bulgarian: , добър (bg), благотворен (bg) Dutch: lief (nl),goedaardig (nl),

Russian: добрый (ru), доброжелательный (ru)

gay; merry; jovial; convivial

Bulgarian: весел (bg), приятен (bg) Dutch: vrolijk (nl),minzaam (nl),

Russian: весёлый (ru)

Quotations

• Which ... Nature boon Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain — John Milton
• A boon companion, loving his bottle — John Arbuthnot

Anagrams

• noob
• obon

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Dutch

Wikipedia ^nl

Etymology

From Old Dutch *bōna, from Proto-Germanic *baunō.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -oːn

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

boon f. and m. (plural bonen, diminutive boontje)

1. bean