armor plate that protects the head
"The knight raised his steel helmet to shield his head from falling debris during the battle."
a protective headgear made of hard material to resist blows
"The cyclist wore a sturdy helmet to protect his head from potential blows during the race."
A hard, protective head covering, typically part of armour.
"The knight tightened his metal helmet before charging into battle."
In plain English: A helmet is a hard hat you wear to protect your head from getting hurt during sports or riding things like bikes and motorcycles.
"He wore his hard helmet while riding his bicycle to stay safe from falling branches."
Usage: Use this word to describe any rigid hat worn on the head for protection against impact, such as those used in sports or construction. It is often confused with "helmet" when referring specifically to military armor versus modern safety gear, though both fall under this general definition.
To cover with, or as if with, a helmet.
"The heavy rain seemed to hammer against our heads as if we were under a storm's helmet."
In plain English: To helmet means to protect someone's head by putting a hard covering on it, though this usage is very rare and usually people just say they are wearing or using a helmet instead.
"The coach told his players to helmet their heads before entering the tunnel for safety checks, even though it is not standard practice in regular games."
The word helmet comes from Middle English and Old French, where it originally meant a small version of a traditional head covering known as "helm." Although related to the older Germanic term for this protective gear, the borrowed form eventually replaced the original word in common usage by the 15th century.