aid-n; 4 Senses

Sense Number 1: an individual act of providing assistance or help

Commentary: AID[+event][+act][+individual][+of_assistance]
NOTE: refers to the actions of a person, not a quantity of material goods given (Sense 3)

Examples:
The doctor was able to administer aid on the spot to the accident victims.
No one could offer aid to the drowning man in time to save his life.
Mary's boss came to her aid when the client criticized her approach to the project.
Our garden desperately needs the aid of a knowledgeable horticulturist.

Mappings:
PropBank: aid.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2, 4

Sense Number 2: an artifact or tool designed to assist in some activity

Commentary: AID[+artifact][+tool][+assisting][+for_activity]
NOTE: refers to a physical device that helps accomplish an activity, e.g., hearing, walking, teaching

Examples:
John's father wears a hearing aid. This lighted magnifying glass is a great aid for reading maps in the dark. The teacher will use these animal figurines as teaching aids. He can now walk with the aid of a cane. Exercise is an important aid in the recovery process of a heart attack. (metaphoric extension - the activity is a tool)

Mappings:
PropBank: aid.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 3: Material goods given as assistance

Commentary: AID[+goods][+needed][+gift][+money/+food/+medicine]
NOTE: refers to tangible goods or supplies, e.g., money, medicine, food

Examples:
Foreign aid to that region increased by twenty million dollars this year. The U.N. is threatening to cut off financial aid to that nation but not medical aid. The aid to the refugee camps came in the form of blankets, clean water and food. Three aids workers were kidnapped.

Mappings:
PropBank: aid.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3

Sense Number 4: none of the above

Commentary: Automatically generated NOTA sense (bbn)

Examples:

Mappings:
PropBank: NM