help: Meaning and Definition of

help

Pronunciation: (help), [key]
— v.t.,
  1. to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist: He planned to help me with my work. Let me help you with those packages.
  2. to save; rescue; succor: Help me, I'm falling!
  3. to make easier or less difficult; contribute to; facilitate: The exercise of restraint is certain to help the achievement of peace.
  4. to be useful or profitable to: Her quick mind helped her career.
  5. to refrain from; avoid (usually prec. by can or cannot): He can't help doing it.
  6. to relieve or break the uniformity of: Small patches of bright color can help an otherwise dull interior.
  7. to relieve (someone) in need, sickness, pain, or distress.
  8. to remedy, stop, or prevent: Nothing will help my headache.
  9. to serve food to at table (usually fol. by to): Help her to salad.
  10. to serve or wait on (a customer), as in a store.
—v.i.
  1. to give aid; be of service or advantage: Every little bit helps.
  2. to be unable to refrain from or avoid; be obliged to: Still, you can't help but admire her.
  3. Help yourself to the cake.
    1. to serve oneself; take a portion of:Help yourself to the cake.
    2. to take or use without asking permission; appropriate:They helped themselves to the farmer's apples. Help yourself to any of the books we're giving away.
  4. to assist in an effort; be of aid to: Her relatives helped out when she became ill.
  5. (used as a mild form of the oath “so help me God”) I am speaking the truth; on my honor: That's exactly what happened, so help me.
—n.
  1. the act of helping; aid or assistance; relief or succor.
  2. a person or thing that helps: She certainly is a help in an emergency.
  3. a hired helper; employee.
  4. a body of such helpers.
  5. a domestic servant or a farm laborer.
  6. means of remedying, stopping, or preventing: The thing is done, and there is no help for it now.
  7. helping (def. 2).
—interj.
  1. (used as an exclamation to call for assistance or to attract attention.)
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: