1. [n]  benefit resulting from some event or action; "it turned out to my advantage"; "reaping the rewards of generosity"
2. [n]  the quality of having a superior or more favorable position; "he experience gave him the advantage over me"
3. [n]  first point scored after deuce
4. [v]  give an advantage to; "This system advantages the rich"

ADVANTAGE is a 9 letter word that starts with A.

1. \Ad*van"tage\ (?; 61, 48), n. [OE. avantage,
   avauntage, F. avantage, fr. avant before. See {Advance}, and
   cf. {Vantage}.]
   1. Any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means,
      particularly favorable to success, or to any desired end;
      benefit; as, the enemy had the advantage of a more
      elevated position.
            Give me advantage of some brief discourse. --Shak.
            The advantages of a close alliance.   --Macaulay.
   2. Superiority; mastery; -- with of or over.
            Lest Satan should get an advantage of us. --2 Cor.
                                                  ii. 11.
   3. Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit;
      gain; profit; as, the advantage of a good constitution.
   4. Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth
      in the baker's dozen). [Obs.]
            And with advantage means to pay thy love. --Shak.
   {Advantage ground}, vantage ground. [R.] --Clarendon.
   {To have the advantage of} (any one), to have a personal
      knowledge of one who does not have a reciprocal knowledge.
      ``You have the advantage of me; I don't remember ever to
      have had the honor.'' --Sheridan.
   {To take advantage of}, to profit by; (often used in a bad
      sense) to overreach, to outwit.
   Syn: {Advantage}, {Advantageous}, {Benefit}, {Beneficial}.
   Usage: We speak of a thing as a benefit, or as beneficial,
          when it is simply productive of good; as, the benefits
          of early discipline; the beneficial effects of
          adversity. We speak of a thing as an advantage, or as
          advantageous, when it affords us the means of getting
          forward, and places us on a ``vantage ground'' for
          further effort. Hence, there is a difference between
          the benefits and the advantages of early education;
          between a beneficial and an advantageous investment of
          money.
   

2. \Ad*van"tage\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Advantaged}; p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Advantaging}.] [F. avantager, fr. avantage. See
   {Advance}.]
   To give an advantage to; to further; to promote; to benefit;
   to profit.
         The truth is, the archbishop's own stiffness and
         averseness to comply with the court designs, advantaged
         his adversaries against him.             --Fuller.
         What is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world,
         and lose himself, or be cast away?       --Luke ix. 25.
   {To advantage one's self of}, to avail one's self of. [Obs.]