Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Help

Help (help) , transitive verb

[Anglo-Saxon helpan; akin to Old Saxon helpan, Dutch helpen, German helfen, Old High German helfan, Icelandic hjālpa, Swedish hjelpa, Danish hielpe, Gothic hilpan; compare Lithuanian szelpti, and Sanskrit klp to be fitting.]

1.
To furnish with strength or means for the successful performance of any action or the attainment of any object; to aid; to assist; as, to help a man in his work; to help one to remember; -- the following infinitive is commonly used without to; as, “Help me scale yon balcony.” [Obsolete] — Longfellow
2.
To furnish with the means of deliverance from trouble; as, to help one in distress; to help one out of prison.
God help, poor souls, how idly do they talk! — Shakespeare
3.
To furnish with relief, as in pain or disease; to be of avail against; -- sometimes with of before a word designating the pain or disease, and sometimes having such a word for the direct object.
To help him of his blindness. — Shakespeare
The true calamus helps coughs. — Gerarde
4.
To change for the better; to remedy.
Cease to lament for what thou canst not help. — Shakespeare
5.
To prevent; to hinder; as, the evil approaches, and who can help it? — Swift
6.
To forbear; to avoid.
I can not help remarking the resemblance betwixt him and our author. — Pope
7.
To wait upon, as the guests at table, by carving and passing food.
The god of learning and of light Would want a god himself to help him out. — Swift

Help , intransitive verb

To lend aid or assistance; to contribute strength or means; to avail or be of use; to assist.
A generous present helps to persuade, as well as an agreeable person. — Garth
Collocations (1)
To help out , to lend aid; to bring a supply.

Help , noun

[Anglo-Saxon help; akin to Dutch hulp, German hulfe, hilfe, Icelandic hjālp, Swedish hjelp, Danish hielp. See Help, transitive verb]

1.
Strength or means furnished toward promoting an object, or deliverance from difficulty or distress; aid; ^; also, the person or thing furnishing the aid; as, he gave me a help of fifty dollars.
Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. — Bible (KJV) - Psalm lx. 11
God is... a very present help in trouble. — Bible (KJV) - Psalm xlvi. 1
Virtue is a friend and a help to nature. — South
2.
Remedy; relief; as, there is no help for it.
3.
A helper; one hired to help another; also, thew hole force of hired helpers in any business.
4.
Specifically, a domestic servant, man or woman. [Local, United States]