helmet
English
A motorcycle helmet
Alternative forms
- helmette (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English helmet, helmett, a borrowing from Old French helmet, heaumet, a diminutive of helme (Modern French heaume), equivalent to helm + -et. The Old French is itself of Germanic origin (whence Old English helm). Used in English since the 15th century, it has largely displaced helm as the general word.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhɛlmɪt/, /ˈhɛlmət/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛlmɪt
Noun
helmet (plural helmets)
- A hard, protective head covering, typically part of armour.
- Synonym: (archaic or poetic) helm
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter II, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, OCLC 483591931:
- Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety. She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.
- That which resembles a helmet in form, position, etc.
- The upper part of a chemist's retort.
- Synonym: (obsolete) helm
- The hood-shaped upper sepal or petal of some flowers, as of the monkshood or the snapdragon.
- A naked shield or protuberance on the top or fore part of the head of a bird.
- (heraldry) The feature above a shield on a coat of arms.
- Synonym: helm
- The glans penis.
- (by extension, derogatory) A contemptible or stupid person.
- 2021 September 3, MJowen174, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-01-14:
- Jarvo’s a stinky old helmet.
-
- (by extension, derogatory) A contemptible or stupid person.
- The upper part of a chemist's retort.
Synonyms
- brain bucket, hard hat
Derived terms
- combat helmet
- bicycle helmet
- construction helmet
- crash helmet
Related terms
- helm
Descendants
- → Swahili: helmeti
Translations
protective head covering
|
Verb
helmet (third-person singular simple present helmets, present participle helmeting, simple past and past participle helmeted)
- (transitive) To cover with, or as if with, a helmet.
Anagrams
- Lethem
Cebuano
Etymology
From English helmet, from Middle English helmet, helmett, a borrowing from Old French helmet, heaumet, a diminutive of helme.
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: hel‧met
Noun
helmet
- a helmet; a protective head covering, usually part of armour.
Verb
helmet
- to wear a helmet
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:helmet.
Finnish
Noun
helmet
- nominative plural of helmi
- necklace made of pearls or beads
Declension
| Inflection of helmet (Kotus type 7/ovi, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | — | helmet | |
| genitive | — | helmien | |
| partitive | — | helmiä | |
| illative | — | helmiin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | — | helmet | |
| accusative | nom. | — | helmet |
| gen. | — | ||
| genitive | — | helmien | |
| partitive | — | helmiä | |
| inessive | — | helmissä | |
| elative | — | helmistä | |
| illative | — | helmiin | |
| adessive | — | helmillä | |
| ablative | — | helmiltä | |
| allative | — | helmille | |
| essive | — | helminä | |
| translative | — | helmiksi | |
| instructive | — | helmin | |
| abessive | — | helmittä | |
| comitative | — | helmineen | |
| Possessive forms of helmet (type ovi) | ||
|---|---|---|
| possessor | singular | plural |
| 1st person | helmeni | helmemme |
| 2nd person | helmesi | helmenne |
| 3rd person | helmensä | |
Synonyms
- (necklace): helminauha
Middle English
Alternative forms
- helmette, helmett, helmete
Etymology
From Old French helmet; equivalent to helm + -et.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhɛlmɛt/, /ˈhɛlmit/
Noun
helmet
- A helmet; an armoured piece of headgear.
Descendants
- English: helmet
- Scots: hoomet
References
- “helmet, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-18.