Helmet Meaning
/ˈhɛlmɪt/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA hard, protective head covering, typically part of armour.
nounA hard, protective head covering, typically part of armour., Such a helm when placed above a shield on a coat of arms.
Sentence Examples
You're playing with fire if you insist on riding your motorcycle without a helmet on.
It is dangerous to ride a motorbike without a helmet.
CEFR Practice Quiz
For safety, cyclists must wear a ____ on their head.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is the law to wear a ____ while riding a motorcycle to protect your head in case of an accident.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English helmet, helmett, a borrowing from Old French helmet, heaumet, a diminutive of helme (Modern French heaume), equivalent to helm + -et. The Old French is itself of Germanic origin (whence Old English helm). Used in English since the 15th century, it has largely displaced helm as the general word.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety. She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet."
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter II, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"Most speedboarders wear helmets, knee and elbow pads, and occasionally all-in-one aerodynamic suits, to protect themselves."
— 2009 February 25, Noam Friedlander, “Dangerous sport of speedboarding banned from Malibu streets”, in The Daily Telegraph:
"And it makes me sick, the thought of your lipstick on his helmet."
— 1998, “Quarterback”, in Adam Cohen, performed by Adam Cohen:
"Jarvo’s a stinky old helmet."
— 2021 September 3, MJowen174, Twitter, archived from the original on 14 Jan 2023:
"There was no nonsense about these women—no hysteria, no top-note emotion. They were not out for smashing windows or helmetting policemen, or blowing up things sky-high."
— 1913 August 28, “English Non-Militant Suffragists in Parade”, in The Union Signal, volume XXXIX, number 35, Evanston, Ill., page 12:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
For safety, cyclists must wear a ____ on their head.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is the law to wear a ____ while riding a motorcycle to protect your head in case of an accident.