Helm, helm, n. the instrument by which a ship is steered: the station of management or government.—v.t. to direct.—n. Helm′age, guidance.—adj. Helm′less, of a ship, without a helm.—n. Helms′man, the one who steers. [A.S. helma; Ice. hjálm, a rudder, Gr. helm, a handle.]
Helm, helm, Helmet, hel′met, n. a covering of armour for the head: (bot.) the hooded upper lip of certain flowers.—adjs. Helmed, Hel′meted, furnished with a helmet.—n. Hel′met-shell, a genus of gasteropods having thick heavy shells with bold ridges: a cameo-shell. [A.S. helm—helan, to cover; Ger. helm.]
Helminth, hel′minth, n. a worm.—n. Helminth′agogue, a remedy against worms.—adj. Helmin′thic, pertaining to worms: (med.) expelling worms.—n. a medicine for expelling worms.—n. Helmin′thite, a long sinuous mark common on the surfaces of sandstone, and supposed to be the tracks of worms.—adjs. Helmin′thoid, worm-shaped; Helmintholog′ic, -al.—ns. Helminthol′ogist; Helminthol′ogy, that branch of natural history which treats of worms, or more particularly of the parasitic forms.—adj. Helminth′ous. [Gr. helmins, -inthos, a worm.]
Helot, hē′lot, or hel′ot, n. one of a class of slaves among the ancient Spartans.—ns. Hē′lotage, the state of a Helot; Hē′lotism, the condition of the Helots in ancient Sparta: slavery; Hē′lotry, the whole body of the Helots: any class of slaves. [Gr.; said to be derived from Helos, a town in Greece, reduced to slavery by the Spartans.]
Help, help, v.t. to support: to assist: to mitigate: to give means for doing anything: to provide or supply with: to remedy: to prevent, to keep from.—v.i. to give assistance: to contribute:—pa.p. helped, (B.) hōlp′en.—n. means or strength given to another for a purpose: assistance: relief: one who assists: (Amer.) a hired servant, esp. a domestic.—n. Help′er, one who helps: an assistant.—adj. Help′ful, giving help: useful.—n. Help′fulness.—adj. Help′less, without help or power in one's self: wanting assistance.—adv. Help′lessly.—ns. Help′lessness; Help′mate, an assistant: a partner: a wife—also written Help′meet, from Gen. ii. 18.—Help forward, to assist in making progress; Help off, to aid in disposing or getting rid of; Help on, to forward, to lift up; Help out, to aid in finishing a task, eking out a supply, &c.; Help over, to enable to surmount; Help to, to aid in obtaining for some one; Help up, to raise.—God help him, a phrase implying extreme pity or commiseration.—So help me God, a very strong asseveration, implying the willingness of the speaker to let his chance of salvation depend upon his truthfulness. [A.S. helpan, pa.t. healp, pa.p. holpen; Ice. hjálpa, Ger. helfen, to aid.]
Helter-skelter, hel′ter-skel′ter, adv. in a confused hurry: tumultuously.—n. a confused medley: disorderly motion.—adj. confused.—n. Hel′ter-skel′teriness. [Imit.]
Helve, helv, n. the handle of an axe or hatchet: the handle of a forehammer.—v.t. to furnish with a handle, as an axe.—n. Helve′-hamm′er, a trip-hammer. [A.S. hielfe, helfe, a handle.]
Helvetic, hel-vet′ik, adj. pertaining to Switzerland—also Helvē′tian.—Helvetic Confessions, two confessions of faith drawn up by the Swiss theologians in 1536 and 1566, in substance Protestant, Evangelical, moderately Calvinistic, and Zwinglian. [L.,—Helvetia, Latin name of Switzerland.]
Hem, hem, n. the border of a garment doubled down and sewed.—v.t. to form a hem on: to edge:—pr.p. hem′ming; pa.p. hemmed.—n. Hem′-stitch, the ornamental finishing of the inner side of a hem, made by pulling out several threads adjoining it and drawing together in groups the cross-threads by successive stitches.—v.t. to embroider with such.—Hem in, to surround. [A.S. hemm, a border; Ger. hamm, a fence.]
Hem, hem, n. and interj. a sort of half-cough to draw attention.—v.i. to utter the sound hem!—pr.p. hem′ming; pa.p. hemmed. [Imit.]