helping

[hel-ping]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that helps.

2. a portion of food served to a person at one time.

   That's his third helping of ice cream.

adjective

1. giving aid, assistance, support, or the like.

helping

/ ˈhɛlpɪŋ /

noun

1. a single portion of food taken at a meal

Other Word Forms

• helpingly adverb
• unhelping adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of helping¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; help, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Under healthy conditions, tau works like a stabilizing support beam, helping maintain the microtubules that allow nutrients and signals to move through nerve cells.

Read more on Science Daily

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, arrived in Latin America on Tuesday with the stated goal of helping to counter drug trafficking in the region.

Read more on Barron's

Those defending the changes say they provide clarity and administrative structure to the armed forces, while helping to ease a backlog in the courts.

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Chicken sales are helping offset Tyson’s beef losses as the American cattle shortage takes a bite out of Tyson’s TSN -0.59%decrease; red down pointing triangle profits.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Oakland Acting Police Chief James Beere said that while the suspect knew of Beam, "they did not have a relationship" though the coach was "open to helping everybody in this community".

Read more on BBC