Helen

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word Helen. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word Helen, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say Helen in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word Helen you have here. The definition of the word Helen will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofHelen, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: helen, Helén, hælen, and Hælen

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
Helen of Troy (1898) by English painter Evelyn De Morgan

Etymology

From French Hélène, from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). Doublet of Elaine.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)
  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛlən/
  • Rhymes: -ɛlən

Proper noun

Helen (countable and uncountable, plural Helens)

  1. (Greek mythology) The daughter of Zeus and Leda, considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world; her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War.
  2. A female given name from Ancient Greek.
    • 1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train:
      "Is her name Ellen or Helen, Miss Viner? I thought —"
      Miss Viner closed her eyes.
      "I can sound my h's, dear, as well as anyone, but Helen is not a suitable name for a servant. I don't know what the mothers in the lower classes are coming to nowadays."
    • 1993, Oscar Hijuelos, The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien, →ISBN, page 6:
      ...in 1910 she brought Helen into the world, the little female, or "mujercita", as her mother called all the babies, naming her after the glittery label on a facial ointment, The Helen of Troy Beauty Pomade, said to eradicate wrinkles, to soften and add a youthful glow to the user's skin - a fortuitous choice because, of all the sisters, she would be the most beautiful and, never growing old, would always possess the face of a winsome adolescent beauty.
    • 2003, Deborah Crombie, A Share in Death, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 189:
      Gemma followed her, thinking that Helen seemed rather an old-fashioned and elegant name for this rumpled young mother.
  3. A place in the United States:
    1. A minor city in White County, Georgia.
    2. An unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
    3. A census-designated place in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Danish: Helen
  • Estonian: Helen
  • Hawaiian: Helena
  • Norwegian: Helen
  • Swedish: Helen

Translations

Noun

Helen (plural Helens)

  1. Any of various papilionid butterflies of the genus Papilio.

Anagrams

Danish

Proper noun

Helen

  1. a female given name borrowed from English

Estonian

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Helen

  1. a female given name, short form of Helena, also borrowed from English Helen

Norwegian

Proper noun

Helen

  1. a female given name borrowed from English

Swedish

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Helen c (genitive Helens)

  1. a female given name borrowed from English

Turkish

Turkish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia tr

Proper noun

Helen

  1. (Greek mythology) Helen