boon

¹

[boon]

noun

1. something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.

2. something that is asked; a favor sought.

boon

²

[boon]

adjective

1. (of a person) jolly; jovial; convivial.

   boon companions.

2. Archaic.,  kindly; gracious; bounteous.

boon

³

[boon]

noun

Textiles.

1. the ligneous waste product obtained by braking and scutching flax.

boon

¹

/ buːn /

noun

1. something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial; a blessing or benefit

   the car was a boon to him

2. archaic,  a favour; request

   he asked a boon of the king

boon

²

/ buːn /

adjective

1. close, special, or intimate (in the phrase boon companion )

2. archaic,  jolly or convivial

Other Word Forms

• boonless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of boon¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bon(e) “praying, a prayer, favor asked for,” from Old Norse bōn “prayer, request, petition”; cognate with Old English bēn

Origin of boon²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bon(e), boun “good, goodly,” from Old French, from Latin bonus “good, expert”

Origin of boon³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (north) bun(n)e, bone “reed, stem, husk (of flax)”; compare Old English bune “reed; drinking cup”

Word History and Origins

Origin of boon¹

C12: from Old Norse bōn request; related to Old English bēn prayer

Origin of boon²

C14: from Old French bon from Latin bonus good

Example Sentences

Capitalizing on this boon, Netflix pushed the film into theaters for special sing-along screenings, which proved to be a hit for “Wicked” last year, and raked in $18 million over just one weekend.

From Salon

But it has been a boon for the plenty of others spared that perception, across the political spectrum.

From BBC

Anderson knew if he could confirm the ownership, it would be a boon — perhaps a capstone to his legacy as a watchmaker and collector.

From Los Angeles Times

But with the improvement of cross-strait relations and economic links, many on Kinmen view their proximity to China as a boon, not a bane.

From BBC

What was a relatively modest announcement for Swift became a boon for the Kelce brothers, with the “New Heights” YouTube channel growing its subscriber base by hundreds of thousands in just over a week.

From Salon

Related Words

• blessing 
• godsend 
• windfall