helm

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Weather helm is a sea term.

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Definitions (54)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (5)

  1. noun Nautical The steering gear of a ship, especially the tiller or wheel.
  2. noun A position of leadership or control: at the helm of the government.
  3. transitive verb To take the helm of; steer or direct.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (39)

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Examples (50)

  • The captain finally consented; the helm was altered, the sails were trimmed, and the little vessel bore away toward its new destination on the coast of France. —  History of King Charles II of England
  • The third was taller than the others: his hair was long and gleaming and on his helm was a crown. —  The Lord of the Rings
  • At the helm was a woman, who steered with a hip against the tiller while she held a suckling baby to her breast. —  Maigret in Holland-Georges Simenon-08
  • In the panic, too, that followed the French Revolution, all eloquence, but that from the lips of Power, was disregarded, and the voice of him at the helm was the only one listened to in the storm. —  Memoirs of the Life of Rt. Hon. Richard Brinsley Sheridan Vol 2
  • The Lions have not defeated the Swans since round, 2004 but a youthful outfit with a first year coach at the helm might be all the impetus they need to finally get a win. —  AFL Latest News and Broadband
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This word has been looked up 92 times.

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Etymologies (7)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. Middle English, from Old English helma.
  2. Middle English, from Old English; see kel-1 in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (5)

  1. from Middle English helme, from Anglo-Saxon helma, masculine, a helm, rudder, = Dutch helm (stok), tiller, = Middle Low German helm, rudder, = Middle High German helm, halme, German helm, helve, handle, G. also rudder, helm, steeringoar (in nautical sense from D.), = Icelandic hjālm, a rudder; allied to helve and halter, q. v. The word occurs, disguised, in the first element of halberd, q. v.
  2. from helm,n.
  3. from Middle English helm, from Anglo-Saxon helm, a protection, helm, also a protector, = Old Saxon helm = OFries. D. Middle Low German helm = Old High German Middle High German G. helm (later Italian elmo = Spanish yelmo, Old Spanish elmo = Portuguese elmo = Old French heaume, heaulme, French heaume) = Icelandic hjālmr = Swedish Danish hjelm = Goth, hilms, helm; = Old Bulgarian shlemŭs = Russian shleme = Lithuanian szalmas, helm (the last three forms prob. of Teutonic origin); prob. = Sanskrit çarman, protection, shelter, from an assumed √ çar, çal, representing by Anglo-Saxon helan, Middle English helen, English heal, cover: see heal, hell, hill. Dim. (through Old French) helmet, q. v.
  4. from Middle English helmen, past participle helmed, ihelmed; from Anglo-Saxon helmian (poetical), cover, from helm, a covering, a helm, helmet: see helm. Cf. Old French heaumer, heaulmer, cover with a helmet.
  5. Dial. form of halm, q. v.
 

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/hɛlm/
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