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HELP

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help¹

  • /hɛlp/ US, UK
  • [hɛo̯p] ~ [hɛʊ̯p]
  • /help/ Australia, New Zealand
  • [he̝o̯p] ~ [he̝ʊ̯p]
  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛlp

Where it comes from

From Middle English help, from Old English help (“help, aid, assistance, relief”), from Proto-Germanic *helpō (“help”), *hilpiz, *hulpiz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälpe (“help”), West Frisian help (“help”), Cimbrian hölfe (“help”), Dutch hulp (“help”), German Hilfe (“help, aid, assistance”), Luxembourgish Hëllef (“help”), Mòcheno hilf (“help”), Vilamovian hyłf (“help”), Yiddish הילף (hilf, “help”), Danish hjælp (“help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálp (“help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelp (“help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelp, hjølp (“help”), Swedish hjälp (“help”).

noun helps · he'p

  1. uncountable, usually Action given to provide assistance; aid. I need some help with my homework.
  2. uncountable, usually Something or someone which provides assistance with a task. He was a great help to me when I was moving house.
  3. uncountable, usually Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer. I can't find anything in the help about rotating an image.
  4. countable, usually A study aid. I've printed out a list of math helps.
  5. uncountable, usually One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise. The help is coming round this morning to clean.
  6. uncountable, usually Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training. His suicide attempts were a cry for help.

help²

  • /hɛlp/ US, UK
  • [hɛo̯p] ~ [hɛʊ̯p]
  • /help/ Australia, New Zealand
  • [he̝o̯p] ~ [he̝ʊ̯p]
  • /hɛp/

Rhymes with -ɛlp

Where it comes from

From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”).

Cognate with North Frisian halep, heelpe, help (“to help”), Saterland Frisian hälpe (“to help”), West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Cimbrian hölfan (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen, hülpen (“to help”), Luxembourgish hëllefen (“to help”), Yiddish העלפֿן (helfn, “to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Faroese and Icelandic hjálpa (“to help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelpe (“to help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelpa, hjelpe (“to help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽 (hilpan, “to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”).

verb helps · helping · helped · holp

  1. transitive To provide assistance to (someone or something). He helped his grandfather cook breakfast.
  2. transitive To assist (a person) in getting something, especially food or drink at table; used with to. It is polite to help your guests to food before serving yourself.
  3. transitive To contribute in some way to. The white paint on the walls helps make the room look brighter.
  4. intransitive To provide assistance. She was struggling with the groceries, so I offered to help.
  5. transitive To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can. We couldn’t help noticing that you were late.
  6. Hong Kong, Singapore To do something on the behalf of someone. Can you help me buy some groceries?
  7. Singapore, Singlish, imperative To assist or sympathize with (the speaker); used to express displeasure, disappointment or exasperation. Compare Malay tolong (“help; please”) and Hokkien 導郎 /导郎 (tō͘-lông, “help; please”)

Similar: aid, assist, come to the aid of, help out, abet, befriend, bestead, minister, come to someone's aid, give someone a hand, grip, help

interjection help! · he'p

  1. A cry of distress or an urgent request for assistance. — Take that, you scoundrel. — Help! Robin, help!
  2. Internet A way to signal uncontrollable laughter; implying the risk of dying of laughter and needing assistance. helpppp that's too funny, did she rlly say that?

HELP³

noun

  1. abbreviation, initialism, uncountable Initialism of heat escape lessening position: a crouching position with the knees held close to the chest, used to conserve body heat in cold water.heat escape lessening position

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