helm
1[ helm ]
/ hɛlm /
Save This Word!
noun
Nautical.
- a wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered.
- the entire steering apparatus of a ship.
- 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.
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Origin of helm
1First recorded before 900; Middle English helm(e), Old English helma; cognate with Middle High German halme, helm “handle,” Old Norse hjalm “rudder”
OTHER WORDS FROM helm
helmless, adjectiveOther definitions for helm (2 of 2)
helm2
[ helm ]
/ hɛlm /
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
2First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German helm; akin to Old English helan “to cover”; see origin at hull1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use helm in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for helm (1 of 2)
helm1
/ (hɛlm) /
noun
nautical
- the wheel, tiller, or entire apparatus by which a vessel is steered
- 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 forms of helm
helmless, adjectiveWord Origin for helm
Old English helma; related to Old Norse hjalm rudder, Old High German halmo
British Dictionary definitions for helm (2 of 2)
helm2
/ (hɛlm) /
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with helm
helm
see at the helm.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.