Webster's English Dictionary

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help

Cross references:
  1. improve               
 
1. help \'help, South also 'hep\ vb [ME helpen, fr. OE helpan; akin to OHG 
   helfan to help, Lith (Xshachek>elpti 1: to give assistance to : AID  2a: 
   REMEDY, RELIEVE  archaic  2b: RESCUE, SAVE  2c: to get (oneself) out of a 
   difficulty  3a: to be of use to : BENEFIT  3b: to further the advancement 
   of : PROMOTE  4a: to change for the better : MEND  4b: to refrain from 
   {couldn't ~ laughing}  4c: to keep from occurring : PREVENT  5: to serve 
   with food or drink esp. at a meal  6: to appropriate for the use of 
   (oneself)  : to be of use or benefit {every little bit ~s}  accomplish an 
   end, HELP carries a strong implication of advance toward an objective; AID 
   suggests the evident need of help or relief and so imputes weakness to the 
   one aided and strength to the one aiding; ASSIST suggests a secondary role 
   in the assistant or a subordinate character in the assistance : cannot but  
   : I swear it  - cannot help but  SYN syn HELP, AID, ASSIST mean to supply 
   what is needed to 
2. help n 1: AID, ASSISTANCE  2: a source of aid  3: REMEDY, RELIEF  4a: 
   one who is in the service of or who assists another : HELPER  4b: the 
   services of a paid worker  5: HELPING