Helm Helm noun See Haulm , straw.

Helm Helm noun [ Middle English helme , Anglo-Saxon helma rudder; akin to D. & German helm , Icelandic hjālm , and perhaps to English helve .]

1. (Nautical) The apparatus by which a ship is steered, comprising rudder, tiller, wheel, etc.; -- commonly used of the tiller or wheel alone.

2. The place or office of direction or administration. "The helm of the Commonwealth." Melmoth.

3. One at the place of direction or control; a steersman; hence, a guide; a director.

The helms o' the State, who care for you like fathers.

Shak.

4. [ Confer Helve .] A helve. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]

Helm amidships , when the tiller, rudder, and keel are in the same plane. -- Helm aport , when the tiller is borne over to the port side of the ship. -- Helm astarboard , when the tiller is borne to the starboard side. -- Helm alee , Helm aweather , when the tiller is borne over to the lee or to the weather side. -- Helm hard alee or hard aport , hard astarboard , etc., when the tiller is borne over to the extreme limit. -- Helm port , the round hole in a vessel's counter through which the rudderstock passes. -- Helm down , helm alee. -- Helm up , helm aweather. -- To ease the helm , to let the tiller come more amidships, so as to lessen the strain on the rudder. -- To feel the helm , to obey it. -- To right the helm , to put it amidships. -- To shift the helm , to bear the tiller over to the corresponding position on the opposite side of the vessel. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Helm Helm transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Helmed ; present participle & verbal noun Helming .] To steer; to guide; to direct. [ R.]

The business he hath helmed .

Shak.

A wild wave . . . overbears the bark,
And him that helms it.

Tennyson.

Helm Helm noun [ Anglo-Saxon See Helmet .] 1. A helmet. [ Poetic]

2. A heavy cloud lying on the brow of a mountain. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Helm Helm transitive verb To cover or furnish with a helm or helmet. [ Perh. used only as a past part. or part. adj. ]

She that helmed was in starke stours.

Chaucer.

Helmage Helm"age noun Guidance; direction. [ R.]

Helmed Helm"ed adjective Covered with a helmet.

The helmed cherubim
Are seen in glittering ranks.

Milton.

Helmet Hel"met noun [ Old French helmet , a dim of helme , French heaume ; of Teutonic origin; confer German helm , akin to Anglo-Saxon & Old Saxon helm , Dutch helm , helmet , Icelandic hjālmr , Swedish hjelm , Danish hielm , Goth. hilms ; and probably from the root of Anglo-Saxon helan to hide, to hele; confer also Lithuanian szalmas , Russian shleme , Sanskrit çarman protection. √17. Confer Hele , Hell , Helm a helmet.] 1. (Armor) A defensive covering for the head. See Casque , Headpiece , Morion , Sallet , and Illust. of Beaver .

2. (Her.) The representation of a helmet over shields or coats of arms, denoting gradations of rank by modifications of form.

3. A helmet-shaped hat, made of cork, felt, metal, or other suitable material, worn as part of the uniform of soldiers, firemen, etc., also worn in hot countries as a protection from the heat of the sun.

4. That which resembles a helmet in form, position, etc. ; as: (a) (Chemistry) The upper part of a retort. Boyle. (b) (Botany) The hood-formed upper sepal or petal of some flowers, as of the monkshood or the snapdragon. (c) (Zoology) A naked shield or protuberance on the top or fore part of the head of a bird.

Helmet beetle (Zoology) , a leaf- eating beetle of the family Chrysomelidæ , having a short, broad, and flattened body. Many species are known. -- Helmet shell (Zoology) , one of many species of tropical marine univalve shells belonging to Cassis and allied genera. Many of them are large and handsome; several are used for cutting as cameos, and hence are called cameo shells . See King conch . -- Helmet shrike (Zoology) , an African wood shrike of the genus Prionodon , having a large crest.

Helmet-shaped Hel"met-shaped` adjective Shaped like a helmet; galeate. See Illust. of Galeate .

Helmeted Hel`met·ed adjective Wearing a helmet; furnished with or having a helmet or helmet-shaped part; galeate.

Helminth Hel"minth noun [ Greek ..., ..., a worm.] (Zoology) An intestinal worm, or wormlike intestinal parasite; one of the Helminthes.

Helminthagogue Hel·min"tha·gogue noun [ Greek ... a worm + ... to drive.] (Medicine) A vermifuge.

Helminthes Hel·min"thes noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., a worm.] (Zoology) One of the grand divisions or branches of the animal kingdom. It is a large group including a vast number of species, most of which are parasitic. Called also Enthelminthes , Enthelmintha .

» The following classes are included, with others of less importance: Cestoidea (tapeworms), Trematodea (flukes, etc.), Turbellaria (planarians), Acanthocephala (thornheads), Nematoidea (roundworms, trichina, gordius), Nemertina (nemerteans). See Plathelminthes , and Nemathelminthes .

Helminthiasis Hel`min·thi"a·sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... to suffer from worms, from ..., ..., a worm.] (Medicine) A disease in which worms are present in some part of the body.

Helminthic Hel·min"thic adjective [ Confer French helminthique .] Of or relating to worms, or Helminthes; expelling worms. -- noun A vermifuge; an anthelmintic.

Helminthite Hel·min"thite noun [ Greek ..., ..., a worm.] (Geol.) One of the sinuous tracks on the surfaces of many stones, and popularly considered as worm trails.

Helminthoid Hel·min"thoid adjective [ Greek ..., ..., a worm + -oid .] Wormlike; vermiform.

Helminthologic, Helminthological Hel·min`tho·log"ic, Hel·min`tho·log"ic·al adjective [ Confer French helminthologique .] Of or pertaining to helminthology.

Helminthologist Hel`min·thol"o·gist noun [ Confer French helminthologiste .] One versed in helminthology.

Helminthology Hel`min·thol"o·gy noun [ Greek ..., ..., a worm + -logy : confer French helminthologie .] The natural history, or study, of worms, esp. parasitic worms.

Helmless Helm"less adjective 1. Destitute of a helmet.

2. Without a helm or rudder. Carlyle.

Helmsman Helms"man noun ; plural Helmsmen The man at the helm; a steersman.

Helmwind Helm"wind` noun A wind attending or presaged by the cloud called helm . [ Prov. Eng.]

Helot He"lot noun [ Latin Helotes , Hilotae , plural, from Greek E'e`lws and E'elw`ths a bondman or serf of the Spartans; so named from 'Elos , a town of Laconia, whose inhabitants were enslaved; or perhaps akin to e`lei^n to take, conquer, used as 2d aor. of ....] A slave in ancient Sparta; a Spartan serf; hence, a slave or serf.

Those unfortunates, the Helots of mankind, more or less numerous in every community.

I. Taylor.

Helotism He"lot·ism noun The condition of the Helots or slaves in Sparta; slavery.

Helotry He"lot·ry noun The Helots, collectively; slaves; bondsmen. "The Helotry of Mammon." Macaulay.

Help Help (hĕlp) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Helped (hĕlpt) (Obsolete imperfect Holp (hōlp) past participle Holpen (hōl"p'n)); present participle & verbal noun Helping .] [ Anglo-Saxon helpan ; akin to Old Saxon helpan , Dutch helpen , German helfen , Old High German helfan , Icelandic hjālpa , Swedish hjelpa , Danish hielpe , Goth. hilpan ; confer Lithuanian szelpti , and Sanskrit klp to be fitting.] 1. To furnish with strength or means for the successful performance of any action or the attainment of any object; to aid; to assist; as, to help a man in his work; to help one to remember; -- the following infinitive is commonly used without to ; as, " Help me scale yon balcony." Longfellow.

2. To furnish with the means of deliverance from trouble; as, to help one in distress; to help one out of prison. "God help , poor souls, how idly do they talk!" Shak.

3. To furnish with relief, as in pain or disease; to be of avail against; -- sometimes with of before a word designating the pain or disease, and sometimes having such a word for the direct object. "To help him of his blindness." Shak.

The true calamus helps coughs.

Gerarde.

4. To change for the better; to remedy.

Cease to lament for what thou canst not help .

Shak.

5. To prevent; to hinder; as, the evil approaches, and who can help it? Swift.

6. To forbear; to avoid.

I can not help remarking the resemblance betwixt him and our author.

Pope.

7. To wait upon, as the guests at table, by carving and passing food.

To help forward , to assist in advancing. -- To help off , to help to go or pass away, as time; to assist in removing. Locke. -- To help on , to forward; to promote by aid. -- To help out , to aid, as in delivering from a difficulty, or to aid in completing a design or task.

The god of learning and of light
Would want a god himself to help him out .

Swift.

-- To help over , to enable to surmount; as, to help one over an obstacle. -- To help to , to supply with; to furnish with; as, to help one to soup. -- To help up , to help (one) to get up; to assist in rising, as after a fall, and the like. "A man is well holp up that trusts to you." Shak.

Syn. -- To aid; assist; succor; relieve; serve; support; sustain; befriend. -- To Help , Aid , Assist . These words all agree in the idea of affording relief or support to a person under difficulties. Help turns attention especially to the source of relief. If I fall into a pit, I call for help ; and he who helps me out does it by an act of his own. Aid turns attention to the other side, and supposes coöperation on the part of him who is relieved; as, he aided me in getting out of the pit; I got out by the aid of a ladder which he brought. Assist has a primary reference to relief afforded by a person who "stands by" in order to relieve. It denotes both help and aid . Thus, we say of a person who is weak, I assisted him upstairs, or, he mounted the stairs by my assistance . When help is used as a noun, it points less distinctively and exclusively to the source of relief, or, in other words, agrees more closely with aid . Thus we say, I got out of a pit by the help of my friend.

Help Help intransitive verb To lend aid or assistance; to contribute strength or means; to avail or be of use; to assist.

A generous present helps to persuade, as well as an agreeable person.

Garth.

To help out , to lend aid; to bring a supply.

Help Help noun [ Anglo-Saxon help ; akin to Dutch hulp , German hülfe , hilfe , Icelandic hjālp , Swedish hjelp , Danish hielp . See Help , transitive verb ]

1. Strength or means furnished toward promoting an object, or deliverance from difficulty or distress; aid; ^; also, the person or thing furnishing the aid; as, he gave me a help of fifty dollars.

Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.

Ps. lx. 11.

God is . . . a very present help in trouble.

Ps. xlvi. 1.

Virtue is a friend and a help to nature.

South.

2. Remedy; relief; as, there is no help for it.

3. A helper; one hired to help another; also, thew hole force of hired helpers in any business.

4. Specifically, a domestic servant, man or woman. [ Local, U. S.]

Helper Help"er noun One who, or that which, helps, aids, assists, or relieves; as, a lay helper in a parish.

Thou art the helper of the fatherless.

Ps. x. 14.

Compassion . . . oftentimes a helper of evils.

Dr. H. More.

Helpful Help"ful adjective Furnishing help; giving aid; assistant; useful; salutary.

Heavens make our presence and our practices
Pleasant and helpful to him!

Shak.

-- Help"ful*ly , adverb -- Help"ful*ness , noun Milton.

Helpless Help"less adjective 1. Destitute of help or strength; unable to help or defend one's self; needing help; feeble; weak; as, a helpless infant.

How shall I then your helpless fame defend?

Pope.

2. Beyond help; irremediable.

Some helpless disagreement or dislike, either of mind or body.

Milton.

3. Bringing no help; unaiding. [ Obsolete]

Yet since the gods have been
Helpless foreseers of my plagues.

Chapman.

4. Unsupplied; destitute; -- with of . [ R.]

Helpless of all that human wants require.

Dryden.

-- Help"less*ly , adverb -- Help"less*ness , noun

Helpmate Help"mate` noun [ A corruption of the " help meet for him" of Genesis ii. 18. Fitzedward Hall. ] A helper; a companion; specifically, a wife.

In Minorca the ass and the hog are common helpmates , and are yoked together in order to turn up the land.

Pennant.

A waiting woman was generally considered as the most suitable helpmate for a parson.

Macaulay.

Helpmeet Help"meet` noun [ See Helpmate .] A wife; a helpmate.

The Lord God created Adam, . . . and afterwards, on his finding the want of a helpmeet , caused him to sleep, and took one of his ribs and thence made woman.

J. H. Newman.

Helter-skelter Hel"ter-skel"ter adverb [ An onomat...poetic word. Confer German holter-polter , Dutch holder de bolder .] In hurry and confusion; without definite purpose; irregularly. [ Colloq.]

Helter-skelter have I rode to thee.

Shak.

A wistaria vine running helter-skelter across the roof.

J. C. Harris.

Helve Helve noun [ Middle English helve , helfe , Anglo-Saxon hielf , helf , hylf , confer Old High German halb ; and also English halter , helm of a rudder.] 1. The handle of an ax, hatchet, or adze.

2. (Iron Working) (a) The lever at the end of which is the hammer head, in a forge hammer. (b) A forge hammer which is lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head.

Helve Helve transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Helved ; present participle & verbal noun Helving .] To furnish with a helve, as an ax.

Helvetian Hel·ve"tian adjective Same as Helvetic . -- noun A Swiss; a Switzer.

Helvetic Hel·ve"tic adjective [ Latin Helveticus , from Helvetii the Helvetii.] Of or pertaining to the Helvetii, the ancient inhabitant of the Alps, now Switzerland, or to the modern states and inhabitant of the Alpine regions; as, the Helvetic confederacy; Helvetic states.

Helvine, Helvite Hel"vine, Hel"vite noun [ Latin helvus of a light bay color.] (Min.) A mineral of a yellowish color, consisting chiefly of silica, glucina, manganese, and iron, with a little sulphur.

Hem Hem (hĕm) pron. [ Middle English , from Anglo-Saxon him , heom , dative plural of. hē he. See He , They .] Them [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Hem Hem interj. An onomatopoetic word used as an expression of hesitation, doubt, etc. It is often a sort of voluntary half cough, loud or subdued, and would perhaps be better expressed by hm .

Cough or cry hem , if anybody come.

Shak.

Hem Hem noun An utterance or sound of the voice, hem or hm , often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention. "His morning hems ." Spectator.

Hem Hem intransitive verb [ √15. See Hem , interj. ] To make the sound expressed by the word hem ; hence, to hesitate in speaking. " Hem , and stroke thy beard." Shak.

Hem Hem noun [ Anglo-Saxon hem , border, margin; confer Fries. hämel , Prov. German hammel hem of mire or dirt.] 1. The edge or border of a garment or cloth, doubled over and sewed, to strengthen it and prevent raveling.

2. Border; edge; margin. " Hem of the sea." Shak.

3. A border made on sheet-metal ware by doubling over the edge of the sheet, to stiffen it and remove the sharp edge.

Hem Hem transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Hemmed ; present participle & verbal noun Hemming .] 1. To form a hem or border to; to fold and sew down the edge of. Wordsworth.

2. To border; to edge

All the skirt about
Was hemmed with golden fringe.

Spenser.

To hem about , around , or in , to inclose and confine; to surround; to environ. "With valiant squadrons round about to hem ." Fairfax. " Hemmed in to be a spoil to tyranny." Daniel. -- To hem out , to shut out. "You can not hem me out of London." J. Webster.

Hema- Hem"a- Same as Hæma- .

Hemachate Hem"a·chate noun [ Latin haemachates ; Greek a"i^ma blood + ... agate.] (Min.) A species of agate, sprinkled with spots of red jasper.

Hemachrome Hem"a·chrome noun Same as Hæmachrome .

Hemacite Hem"a·cite noun [ Greek a"i^ma blood.] A composition made from blood, mixed with mineral or vegetable substances, used for making buttons, door knobs, etc.

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