Dictionary

helper en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈhɛlpɚ/ (US)

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”).

Meanings

1. One who helps; an aide; assistant; auxiliary.
2. That which helps; anything serving to assist.
   • 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. 2012, Jude Deveraux, The Mulberry Tree, page 84:
   • 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. 2014, Neale Blackwood, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants, page 154:
   • 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. 2005, PC World, volume 23, page 158:
3. (Hong-Kong, Philippines, Singapore) A person who does cleaning and cooking in a family home, or in a market; domestic employee.
4. (US) A locomotive that assists a train, usually on steep gradients.
   • 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. 1964 November, “Automatic helper locomotive control on the Louisville & Nashville RR, USA”, in Modern Railways, page 354:
5. (slang) A stimulating pill, especially amphetamine.
   • 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. 1985, Priscilla Presley, Sandra Harmon, Elvis and Me, Putnam, →ISBN, page 152:

Forms

Deriveds

helper dog · helper-up · T helper cell · Hamburger Helper · helper grade · helpervirus · self-helper · plumber's helper · helper T cell · helper verb · helper virus · oath-helper · helperless · domestic helper · mother's little helper

Synonyms

banker

Translations (157)

sw msaidizi (one who helps) · de Helfer (one who helps) · it assistente (one who helps) · mi uruora (one who helps) · pdt Halpa (one who helps) · vi phó thủ (one who helps) · ky жардамчы (one who helps) · bg помо́щничка (one who helps) · sh помо̀ћнӣк (one who helps) · la administer (one who helps) · la adiūtor (one who helps) · syc ܡܥܕܪܢܝܬܐ (one who helps) · be памо́чніца (one who helps) · ar مُسَاعِد (one who helps) · tt ярдәмче (one who helps) · am ረዳት (one who helps) · id penolong (one who helps) · vo hiyufan (one who helps) · io helpisto (one who helps) · it aiutante (one who helps) · cmn 助手 (one who helps) · ur یاوَر (one who helps) · kmr arîkar (one who helps) · ko 조수 (one who helps) · ba ярҙамсы (one who helps) · kmr alîkar (one who helps) · sk pomocníca (one who helps) · et aitaja (one who helps) · is aðstoðarmaður (one who helps) · ko 도우미 (one who helps) · te సహాయకుడు (one who helps) · io helpero (one who helps) · nds-de Hölpersche (one who helps) · ja 助手 (one who helps) · gd cuidiche (one who helps) · fa-ira آسیسْتان (one who helps) · wal maaddiyagaa (one who helps) · vo yufan (one who helps) · cmn 幫手 /帮手 (one who helps) · sk pomocník (one who helps) · fa-ira دَسْتْیار (one who helps) · ee kpeɖeŋutɔ (one who helps) · ota ناصر (one who helps) · cs pomocnice (one who helps) · sh asìstent (one who helps) · srn yepiman (one who helps) · sh асѝстент (one who helps) · ur سَہایَک (one who helps) · sl pomočnica (one who helps) · be памо́чнік (one who helps) · fi apuri (one who helps) · bg помага́чка (one who helps) · lv palīdze (one who helps) · la optiō (one who helps) · xdq кумекчи (one who helps) · fr assistante (one who helps) · ar مُسَاعِدَة (one who helps) · az köməkçi (one who helps) · id pembantu (one who helps) · syc ܥܕܘܪܐ (one who helps) · la auxiliātor (one who helps) · sh pomòćnīk (one who helps) · pt ajudante (one who helps) · it supporto (one who helps) · ru помо́щник (one who helps) · sl pomočnik (one who helps) · bn সহায়ক (one who helps) · lo ຜູ້ຊ່ວຍ (one who helps) · sv medhjälpare (one who helps) · es ayudante (one who helps) · he עוֹזֵר (one who helps) · fi auttaja (one who helps) · ga cúntóir (one who helps) · ur مَدَدْگار (one who helps) · ja 手伝い (one who helps) · mk помошник (one who helps) · ka მშველელი (one who helps) · ota امدادجی (one who helps) · ar مُعَاوِن (one who helps) · io helpanto (one who helps) · fi avustaja (one who helps) · bg помо́щник (one who helps) · uk помічни́ця (one who helps) · ota یاردمجی (one who helps) · tr yardımcı (one who helps) · tg ёвар (one who helps) · ps مرستونی (one who helps) · kum помощник (one who helps) · syc ܥܕܘܪܬܐ (one who helps) · nl helpster (one who helps) · ca ajudador (one who helps) · uz yordamchi (one who helps) · tg дастёр (one who helps) · tg ёрдамчӣ (one who helps) · hu segítő (one who helps) · gd co-làmhaiche (one who helps) · pl pomocnica (one who helps) · kum кёмекчи (one who helps) · uz yovar (one who helps) · fr assistant (one who helps) · vo jiyufan (one who helps) · hu segéd (one who helps) · cs pomocník (one who helps) · syc ܡܥܕܪܢܐ (one who helps) · zdj mpveshezi (one who helps) · kk көмекші (one who helps) · ca ajudant (one who helps) · mk помошничка (one who helps) · nl helper (one who helps) · lt padėjėja (one who helps) · de Helferin (one who helps) · it apprendista (one who helps) · ang helpend (one who helps) · bg помо́щница (one who helps) · nds-de Hölperin (one who helps) · mn туслагч (one who helps) · mk помагачка (one who helps) · lad ayudador (one who helps) · pl pomocnik (one who helps) · ru ассисте́нт (one who helps) · th ผู้ช่วย (one who helps) · bg помага́ч (one who helps) · lv palīgs (one who helps) · fa-ira یاوَر (one who helps) · et abiline (one who helps) · ru ассисте́нтка (one who helps) · grc συνέντης (one who helps) · lt padėjėjas (one who helps) · sq ndihmës (one who helps) · nb hjelper (one who helps) · mk помагач (one who helps) · ar مُعَاوِنَة (one who helps) · ru помо́щница (one who helps) · ru подру́чный (one who helps) · hi सहायक (one who helps) · hy օգնական (one who helps) · tk kömekçi (one who helps) · my အကူ (one who helps) · ug ياردەمچى (one who helps) · km អ្នកជំនួយ (one who helps) · is hjálparmaður (one who helps) · es ayudador (one who helps) · alt болушчы (one who helps) · nds-de Hölper (one who helps) · ro ajutoare (one who helps) · cmn 副手 (one who helps) · uk помічни́к (one who helps) · grc βοηθός (one who helps) · ro ajutor (one who helps) · az yardımçı (one who helps) · fi apulainen (one who helps) · da hjælper (one who helps) · ja ヘルパー (one who helps) · fr aide (one who helps) · fr auxiliaire (one who helps) · ka დამხმარე (one who helps) · el βοηθός (one who helps)