helm
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: hĕlm
ipa: /hɛlm/
rhymes: -ɛlm
Forms: form: helms
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English helm, helme (“tiller of a ship”), from Old English helma (“helm, tiller”), from Proto-Germanic *helmô (“handle; helm, tiller”), either from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover”) or from the same source as haulm and helm (“bentgrass, straw”) (see below), Proto-Indo-European *ḱélh₂-m(on)- (“reed, hollow stalk”), one form of which then developed a specialized meaning “handle” in Germanic.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Cognates
* German Holm (“beam”)
* Old Norse hjálm
Senses: examples: text: Ye this is both helme & stern of al together: & that which they contended right sore to impugn, but loue of the truth, wherwith in this poynte I reckened me wel fēsed, wold not suffer me to apply & yeld to their wil, thinking, quod sanctū erat veritatē preferre amicitiæ, that the truth ought to be preferred before al frendship & amitye, & also, Si dextra manus scandalizet deberet prescidi & abijci.
ref: 1563 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), John Lambert, “The History of Master Ihon Lābert otherwise Called Nycolson, wyth the Actes and Processe of King Henrye the VIII. and the Byshops agaynst Hym, by whome He was Condempned and Burned at London. Anno. 1538.”, in John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […], London: […] Iohn Day, […], →OCLC, book III, page [599]:
text: Nor is this vveather rare about the Æquinoctiall; by Mariners termed the Tornadoes: and tis ſo vncertaine, that novv you ſhall haue a quiet breath and gale, and ſuddenly an vnexpected violent guſt, and ſtorme, ſo fierce, that many times the ſhips vvill feele no helme.
ref: 1634, T[homas] H[erbert], “An Itinerarie of Some Yeares Trauaile, through Diuers Parts of Asia and Afrike, with the Description of the Orientall Indies, and Some Iles Adjacent. Especially the Territories of the Now Persian Monarchie: Included betwixt Mesopotamia, Indus, and the Caspian Sea”, in A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC, page 5:
text: Fair laughs the Morn, and ſoft the Zephyr blovvs, / VVhile proudly riding o'er the azure realm / In gallant trim the gilded Veſſel goes; / Youth on the provv, and Pleaſure at the helm; […]
ref: 1755–1757 (date written), [Thomas] Gray, “Ode VI. The Bard. Pindaric.”, in The Poems of Mr. Gray. […], York, Yorkshire: […] A[nn] Ward; and sold by J[ames] Dodsley, […]; and J[ohn] Todd, […], published 1775, →OCLC, stanza II.2, page 31:
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: The tiller (or, in a large ship, the wheel) which is used to control the rudder of a marine vessel; also, the entire steering apparatus of a vessel.
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: The use of a helm (sense 1); also, the amount of space through which a helm is turned.
topics: nautical
transport
synonyms: word: helmsperson
glosses: The member of a vessel's crew in charge of steering the vessel; a helmsman or helmswoman.
examples: text: A great axe first she gave, that two ways cut, / In which a fair well-polish'd helm was put, / That from an olive bough receiv'd his frame.
ref: 1614–1615, Homer, “The Fifth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, →OCLC; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume I, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, →OCLC, page 120, lines 311–313:
glosses: Something used to control or steer; also (obsolete), a handle of a tool or weapon; a haft, a helve.
examples: text: the helm of the Commonwealth
text: Biſhop [William] Laud of London is alſo povverful in his VVay, for he ſits at the Helm of the Church, and doth more than any of the tvvo Archbiſhops, or all the reſt of his tvvo and tvventy Brethren beſides.
ref: 1629 January 11 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “XXXIII. To the Right Honourable Sir Peter Wichts, Ambassador at Constantinople.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], published 1655, →OCLC, section V, page 211:
text: [Avram] Grant will be desperate to finish the job of getting West Ham to their first Wembley cup final in 30 years when they meet Birmingham in the second leg at St Andrews on 26 January; though arguably of more pressing concern is whether he will still be at the helm for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Arsenal.
ref: 2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 – 1 Birmingham”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 17 Apr 2021:
text: But although Altman is now back at the helm, OpenAI's new board has yet to offer a public explanation of what exactly went wrong, or set out what changes it will make to ensure the company is not derailed from its core mission of making computer intelligence safe for humanity. The world is waiting.
ref: 2023 November 25, Richard Waters, John Thornhill, “Tech's philosophical rift over AI”, in FT Weekend, Big Read, page 6:
glosses: A position of control or leadership.
examples: text: [Y]ou ſlander / The Helmes o'th State: vvho care for you like Fathers, / VVhen you curſe them, as Enemies.
ref: c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 1, column 2:
glosses: One in the position of controlling or directing; a controller, a director, a guide.
Derived terms: answer the helm
at the helm
autohelm
barrel helm
behelmed
close helm
dishelm
great helm
helmage
helmless
helm port
helm-port
helmsman
helmsperson
helmswoman
take the helm
unhelm
uphelm
weather helm