helper

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See also: Helper

English

Etymology

From Middle English helpere, from Old English *helpere, from Proto-West Germanic *helpārī (“helper”), equivalent to help +‎ -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälper (“helper”), West Frisian helper (“helper”), Dutch helper (“helper”), German Low German Helper (“helper”), German Helfer (“helper”), Danish hjælper (“helper”), Swedish hjälpare (“helper”), Icelandic hjálpar (“helper”).

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɛlpɚ/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

helper (plural helpers)

  1. One who helps; an aide; assistant; auxiliary.
  2. That which helps; anything serving to assist.
    • 2005, PC World, volume 23, page 158:
      While Adobe's Acrobat Reader, Macromedia's Flash player, and other common plug-ins suggest themselves the moment you encounter a site that requires them, other browser helpers are harder to find.
    • 2012, Jude Deveraux, The Mulberry Tree, page 84:
      He no longer liked food that had “helper” in the name, such as Hamburger Helper and Tuna Helper. Patsy said he'd become uppity, and maybe, when it came to food, he had.
    • 2014, Neale Blackwood, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants, page 154:
      If a particular calculation is to be used a few times, it makes sense to put it in a helper cell so that it can be referred to by other formulas.
  3. (Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines) A person who does cleaning and cooking in a family home, or in a market; domestic employee.
  4. (rail transport, US) A locomotive that assists a train, usually on steep gradients.
    Synonym: banker
    • 1964 November, “Automatic helper locomotive control on the Louisville & Nashville RR, USA”, in Modern Railways, page 354:
      A device for the automatic control of crewless helper locomotives cut into the make-up of heavy freight trains has been perfected by the Louisville & Nashville RR in conjunction with the General Railway Signalling Co.
  5. (slang) A stimulating pill, especially amphetamine.
    • 1985, Priscilla Presley, Sandra Harmon, Elvis and Me, Putnam, →ISBN, page 152:
      And I routinely took more “helpers” when I woke up in order to maintain the fast pace and, more importantly, to study for my final exams.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

Cebuano

Etymology

From English helper.

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: hel‧per

Noun

helper

  1. a maid; a servant or cleaner
  2. an aide

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch helpere. Equivalent to helpen +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɦɛl.pər/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: hel‧per

Noun

helper m (plural helpers, diminutive helpertje n)

  1. One who helps, gives aid; deputy, assistant, aide, flunky
    Synonyms: assistent, hulp

Descendants

  • Negerhollands: helper
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