helm
55
6.2
- noun
- /hɛlm/
- Specialized
- The helm was firm, and the ship held to its course.
Examples
-
Forrest stands at the helm as the boat glides across the water.
Fiction book (1994) -
I stood at the helm, gripped the steering wheel, and I was frightened.
Fiction book (1999) -
So I took the stick and, for the next few minutes, I was at the helm.
Fiction book (1996) -
Preliminary reports indicated the ship 's captain was drunk at the helm.
-
Not until just offshore did I realize my father stood at the Mako's helm.
Fiction book (1999) -
Greer looks on from the helm as Murphy, Dodge, and Epps stand over the map table.
Fiction book (2002) -
As he swabs it carefully, Leila is at the helm, keeping the speeding, bouncing boat on course.
Fiction book (1998) -
Narrator E: The men grumble as Columbus stands at the helm (ship's steering wheel) in a scarlet cape.
Fiction book (2001) -
The sailor gripped the helm tightly as the storm approached the ship.
-
She adjusted the helm to change the course of the vessel during the rough seas.
Synonyms
129
1.8
To guide where a vehicle, ship, or group goes
79
1.5
A round wheel in a car or bus that the driver turns to change direction
6
7.0
A long handle attached to a boat's rudder used for steering
1
3.9
A set of parts that let a driver turn and guide a vehicle
1
4.0
A car part that moves the front wheels when the driver turns the wheel
1
4.1
A group of parts that controls the direction of a vehicle like a car or bicycle
Idioms
Surface Forms
Etymology
Helm comes from the same root as helmet, originally meaning a 'cover' or 'protection', and later it was used for the part of a ship used to steer. Picture the ship's steering as the place that keeps the ship safe and points the way. So helm now means the steering mechanism used to guide a vessel.