auxiliary
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/ɔɡˈzɪljəri/
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Supportive and secondary things, people, groups, verbs, and engines that help a main system work or provide backup when needed.
Examples
The camera has an auxiliary light for low scenes.
Roman commanders relied on auxiliaries from allied peoples.
The hospital kept an auxiliary power supply ready for outages.
In I will call, will is the auxiliary.
Engineers inspected the yacht's auxiliary before the crossing.
Similar words
volunteer
auxiliary verb
operator
helper
affiliate
reserve engine
additional
function verb
supporting
secondary
Meanings
Examples
The clinic hired two auxiliaries to support the nursing staff.
A volunteer auxiliary raised money for the hospital.
The police auxiliary directed traffic after the parade.
Roman commanders relied on auxiliaries from allied peoples.
The service auxiliary supplied fuel and repairs to the fleet.
Each auxiliary reported to the shift supervisor.
The club's auxiliary organized the annual fundraiser.
Similar words
assistantaide
helper
supporter
affiliate
adjunct
volunteer
support unit
Examples
In I will call, will is the auxiliary.
The auxiliary have forms perfect tenses in English.
Questions often place the auxiliary before the subject.
The auxiliary be helps form passive clauses.
Modal auxiliaries such as can and must add meanings like ability or necessity.
The sentence needs the auxiliary do in the negative form.
A chain of auxiliaries can appear before the main verb.
Similar words
helping verb
auxiliary verb
modal
modal verb
operator
function verb
Examples
The sloop became an auxiliary after an inboard engine was installed.
The captain switched to the auxiliary when the wind dropped.
Engineers inspected the yacht's auxiliary before the crossing.
A small auxiliary helped the boat maneuver inside the marina.
The vessel carried an auxiliary for emergency power.
Older sailing craft often added auxiliaries for safer harbor work.
The crew tested the auxiliary before relying on the sails.
Similar words
backup engine
secondary engine
reserve engine
auxiliary engine
supplementary engine
motor sailer
Etymology
From Latin auxiliarius, meaning helping or giving aid, from auxilium, aid or support, related to augere, to increase.
FAQ
What does auxiliary mean?
Auxiliary means supporting, supplementary, or available as a backup to something more central.
What is an auxiliary as a noun?
An auxiliary is a supporting person, group, unit, organization, or device that helps a main body do its work.
What is an auxiliary verb?
An auxiliary verb, also called a helping verb, works with a main verb to form tense, voice, mood, questions, negatives, or emphasis.
What are examples of auxiliary verbs?
Common English auxiliaries include be, have, do, and modals such as can, will, must, and should.
What is an auxiliary engine?
An auxiliary engine is a supplementary or backup engine used when the main source of power is not enough or is unavailable.
What is the plural of auxiliary?
The plural of auxiliary is auxiliaries.
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