Helm
nounThe wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered, or by extension the position of leadership and control.
How to spell helm
4 letters · 1 syllable
How to pronounce helm
What does helm mean?
- nounThe wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered, or by extension the position of leadership and control.
- verbTo steer a vessel, or to lead and direct a project or organisation.
Helm in a sentence
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noun
The captain gripped the helm as the storm rose.
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verb
The director was hired to helm the new film.
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noun
A new chief executive is now at the helm of the company.
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verb
An experienced sailor will helm the boat through the narrow channel.
Where does helm come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This word comes from the Old English helma, which named the tiller or handle used to work a ship's rudder. It belongs to a broad Germanic family of words tied to handling and gripping, with relatives in Old Norse and the Dutch and German words for a steering bar. Note that this nautical helm is a separate word from the helm meaning a protective head covering, which gave us 'helmet'; the two share an old Germanic feel but travelled different routes. From the literal idea of the device that steers a vessel, English extended the sense by the 1500s to the figurative position of control, so a person 'at the helm' is the one directing the whole enterprise. The short, all-consonant spelling is straightforward, which keeps this word among the easy ones.
How the word is built
- helm (Old English helma: tiller, rudder handle)
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