HELP, v.t. A regular verb; the old past tense and participle holp and holpen being obsolete. 1. To aid; to assist; to lend strength or means towards effecting a purpose; as, to help a man in his work; to help another in raising a building; to help one to pay his debts; to help the memory or the understanding.2. To assist; to succor; to lend means of deliverance; as, to help one in distress; to help one out of prison.3. To relieve; to cure, or to mitigate pain or disease. Help and ease them, but by no means bemoan them. The true calamus helps a cough.Sometimes with of; as, to help one of blindness. 4. To remedy; to change for the better. Cease to lament for what thou cans't not help.5. To prevent; to hinder. The evil approached, and who can help it?6. To forbear; to avoid. I cannot help remarking the resemblance between him and our author--To help forward, to advance by assistance. To help on, to forward; to promote by aid. To help out, to aid in delivering from difficulty, or to aid in completing a design. The god of learning and of light, Would want a god himself to help him out.To help over, to enable to surmount; as, to help one over a difficulty. To help off, to remove by help; as, to help off time. [Unusual.] To help to, to supply with; to furnish with. Whom they would help to a kingdom. 1 Maccabees.Also, to present to at table; as, to help one to a glass of wine. HELP, v.i. To lend aid; to contribute strength or means. A generous present helps to persuade, as well as an agreeable person.To help out, to lend aid; to bring a supply. HELP, n. Aid; assistance; strength or means furnished towards promoting an object, or deliverance from difficulty or distress. Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man. Ps.60.1. That which gives assistance; he or that which contributes to advance a purpose. Virtue is a friend and a help to nature. God is a very present help in time of trouble. Ps.46.2. Remedy; relief. The evil is done; there is no help for it. There is no help for the man; his disease is incurable.3. A hired man or woman; a servant.
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