"helve" meaning in English

See helve in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /hɛlv/ Forms: helves [plural]
Rhymes: -ɛlv Etymology: From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|helfe}} Middle English helfe, {{inh|en|ang|hielfe}} Old English hielfe, {{inh|en|gem-pro|*halbiją}} Proto-Germanic *halbiją, {{cog|en|half}} English half Head templates: {{en-noun}} helve (plural helves)
  1. The handle or haft of a tool or weapon. Translations (The handle or haft of a tool or weapon): dəstə (Azerbaijani), sap (Azerbaijani), qulp (Azerbaijani), qəbzə (Azerbaijani), дръжка (drǎžka) [feminine] (Bulgarian), kahva (english: short) (Finnish), varsi (english: long) (Finnish), tukki (english: rifle) (Finnish), moca [feminine] (Galician), cabo [masculine] (Galician), Stäl [masculine] (Plautdietsch)
    Sense id: en-helve-en-noun-Heev8tVH Disambiguation of 'The handle or haft of a tool or weapon': 99 1
  2. A forge hammer lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head.
    Sense id: en-helve-en-noun-hs2ubzOH Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 5 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Azerbaijani translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with Plautdietsch translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 91 5 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 10 75 16 Disambiguation of Pages with 5 entries: 8 81 11 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 5 88 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Azerbaijani translations: 10 77 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 10 77 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 10 77 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 10 77 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Plautdietsch translations: 5 87 8

Verb

IPA: /hɛlv/ Forms: helves [present, singular, third-person], helving [participle, present], helved [participle, past], helved [past]
Rhymes: -ɛlv Etymology: From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|helfe}} Middle English helfe, {{inh|en|ang|hielfe}} Old English hielfe, {{inh|en|gem-pro|*halbiją}} Proto-Germanic *halbiją, {{cog|en|half}} English half Head templates: {{en-verb}} helve (third-person singular simple present helves, present participle helving, simple past and past participle helved)
  1. (transitive) To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve. Tags: transitive Translations (to furnish with a helve): saplamaq (Azerbaijani), varttaa (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-helve-en-verb-GoXmk0AD

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "helfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English helfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hielfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hielfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*halbiją"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *halbiją",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "half"
      },
      "expansion": "English half",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "helves",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "helve (plural helves)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1917, Robert Frost, \"The Ax-helve\":",
          "text": "It was the bad ax-helve someone had sold me— / “Made on machine,” he said, plowing the grain […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 847:",
          "text": "Happily they were only sketchily armed, the group-leaders carried pistols and pick-helves.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon."
      ],
      "id": "en-helve-en-noun-Heev8tVH",
      "links": [
        [
          "handle",
          "handle"
        ],
        [
          "haft",
          "haft"
        ],
        [
          "tool",
          "tool"
        ],
        [
          "weapon",
          "weapon"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "dəstə"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "sap"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "qulp"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "qəbzə"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "drǎžka",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "дръжка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "short",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "kahva"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "long",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "varsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "rifle",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "word": "tukki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "moca"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "cabo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "pdt",
          "lang": "Plautdietsch",
          "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Stäl"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "4 91 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 75 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 81 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 5 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 88 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 77 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Azerbaijani translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 77 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 77 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 77 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Galician translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 87 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A forge hammer lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head."
      ],
      "id": "en-helve-en-noun-hs2ubzOH",
      "links": [
        [
          "forge",
          "forge"
        ],
        [
          "hammer",
          "hammer"
        ],
        [
          "cam",
          "cam"
        ],
        [
          "fulcrum",
          "fulcrum"
        ],
        [
          "head",
          "head"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hɛlv/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlv"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Etymonline"
  ],
  "word": "helve"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "helfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English helfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hielfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hielfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*halbiją"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *halbiją",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "half"
      },
      "expansion": "English half",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "helves",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "helving",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "helved",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "helved",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "helve (third-person singular simple present helves, present participle helving, simple past and past participle helved)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve."
      ],
      "id": "en-helve-en-verb-GoXmk0AD",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to furnish with a helve",
          "word": "saplamaq"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to furnish with a helve",
          "word": "varttaa"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hɛlv/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlv"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Etymonline"
  ],
  "word": "helve"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlv",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlv/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Azerbaijani translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with Plautdietsch translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "helfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English helfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hielfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hielfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*halbiją"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *halbiją",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "half"
      },
      "expansion": "English half",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "helves",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "helve (plural helves)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1917, Robert Frost, \"The Ax-helve\":",
          "text": "It was the bad ax-helve someone had sold me— / “Made on machine,” he said, plowing the grain […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 847:",
          "text": "Happily they were only sketchily armed, the group-leaders carried pistols and pick-helves.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "handle",
          "handle"
        ],
        [
          "haft",
          "haft"
        ],
        [
          "tool",
          "tool"
        ],
        [
          "weapon",
          "weapon"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A forge hammer lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "forge",
          "forge"
        ],
        [
          "hammer",
          "hammer"
        ],
        [
          "cam",
          "cam"
        ],
        [
          "fulcrum",
          "fulcrum"
        ],
        [
          "head",
          "head"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hɛlv/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlv"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "dəstə"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "sap"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "qulp"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "qəbzə"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "drǎžka",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "дръжка"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "short",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "kahva"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "long",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "varsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "rifle",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "word": "tukki"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "moca"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "cabo"
    },
    {
      "code": "pdt",
      "lang": "Plautdietsch",
      "sense": "The handle or haft of a tool or weapon",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Stäl"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Etymonline"
  ],
  "word": "helve"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlv",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlv/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Azerbaijani translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with Plautdietsch translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "helfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English helfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hielfe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hielfe",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*halbiją"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *halbiją",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "half"
      },
      "expansion": "English half",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "helves",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "helving",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "helved",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "helved",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "helve (third-person singular simple present helves, present participle helving, simple past and past participle helved)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hɛlv/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlv"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to furnish with a helve",
      "word": "saplamaq"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to furnish with a helve",
      "word": "varttaa"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Etymonline"
  ],
  "word": "helve"
}

Download raw JSONL data for helve meaning in English (6.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.