helm

[helm]

See more synonyms for helm on Thesaurus.com

noun

Nautical.
1. a wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered.
2. the entire steering apparatus of a ship.
3. the angle with the fore-and-aft line made by a rudder when turned: 15-degree helm.
the place or post of control: A stern taskmaster was at the helm of the company.

verb (used with object)

to steer; direct.

Origin of helm

before 900; Middle English helme, Old English helma; cognate with Middle High German halme, helm handle, Old Norse hjalm rudder

Related formshelm·less, adjective

helm

[helm]

noun

Also heaume. Also called great helm. a medieval helmet, typically formed as a single cylindrical piece with a flat or raised top, completely enclosing the head.
Archaic. a helmet.

verb (used with object)

to furnish or cover with a helmet.

Origin of helm

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German helm; akin to Old English helan to cover. See hull¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for helmed

head, move, prompt, serve, manage, contribute, draw, introduce, bring, maneuver, handle, sail, cross, cruise, operate, steer, occupy, govern, dominate, predominate

Examples from the Web for helmed

Contemporary Examples of helmed

Too silly and too scripted, those segments paled in comparison to the ones that Handler helmed solo.
Chelsea Handler Ends 'Chelsea Lately' With One Last Middle Finger
Kevin Fallon
August 27, 2014
Swartzwelder previously helmed the short film The Least of These.
‘Old Fashioned’: Your Christian-Friendly, Kink-Free Alternative to ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
Asawin Suebsaeng
July 30, 2014
The Fault in Our Stars is an adaptation of John Green's beloved YA novel, helmed by two relative unknowns.
Young Adult Novel Adaptations Put Mainstream Blockbusters to Shame
Amy Zimmerman
June 14, 2014
After the roles dried up, Petty turned to directing and, in 2008, helmed her feature directorial debut, The Poker House.
Lori Petty on ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ the Halcyon ‘90s, and Discovering Jennifer Lawrence
Marlow Stern
June 8, 2014
Also striking was the fact that the Best Directors for the Play all helmed revivals.
The Tony Awards Don’t Have Love For the Stars
Tom Teodorczuk
April 29, 2014

Historical Examples of helmed

He told Claire—in a voice not too serious—that she was his helmed Athena, his rose of all the world.
Free Air
Sinclair Lewis
Only the helmed firemen held their ground, and two others with bare heads.
Peccavi
E. W. Hornung
His helmed head nodded on his breast, and his arms hung loosely down by his side, the steel armlets rattling on the cuishes.
The Three Perils of Man, Vol. 1 (of 3)
James Hogg
The decks were crowded with helmed men who responded vigorously to the cheering with which they were saluted.
The Prince of India, Volume II
Lew. Wallace
Three troops of maidens; though one maid foremost rode, bright, with helmed head.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson

British Dictionary definitions for helmed

helm

noun

nautical
1. the wheel, tiller, or entire apparatus by which a vessel is steered
2. the position of the helm: that is, on the side of the keel opposite from that of the rudder
a position of leadership or control (esp in the phrase at the helm)

verb

(tr) to direct or steer

Derived Formshelmless, adjective

Word Origin for helm

Old English helma; related to Old Norse hjalm rudder, Old High German halmo

helm

noun

an archaic or poetic word for helmet

verb

(tr) archaic, or poetic to supply with a helmet

Word Origin for helm

Old English helm; related to helan to cover, Old Norse hjalmr, Gothic hilms, Old High German helm helmet, Sanskrit śárman protection

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for helmed

helm

n.2

"a helmet," c.1200, from Old English helm "protection, covering; crown, helmet," and perhaps also from cognate Old Norse hjalmr, from Proto-Germanic *helmaz "protective covering," from PIE *kel- "to cover, to hide" (see cell). Italian elmo, Spanish yelmo are from Germanic.

helm

n.1

"handle of a tiller," late 13c., from Old English helma "rudder; position of guidance, control," from Proto-Germanic *halbma- (cf. Old Norse hjalm, Old High German helmo, German Helm "handle"), from PIE *kelp- "to hold, grasp" (see helve).

Idioms and Phrases with helmed

helm

see at the helm.