transitive verb

1. to make things easier or better for (a person); aid; assist; specif.,
   1. to give (one in need or trouble) something necessary, as relief, succor, money, etc. to help the poor
   2. to do part of the work of; ease or share the labor of to help someone lift a load
   3. to aid in getting (up, down, in, etc. or to, into, out of, etc.) help her into the house
2. to make it easier for (something) to exist, happen, develop, improve, etc.; specif.,
   1. to make more effective, larger, more intense, etc.; aid the growth of; promote a tax to help the schools
   2. to cause improvement in; remedy; alleviate; relieve a medicine that helps a cold
3. 1. to keep from; avoid he can't help coughing
   2. to stop, prevent, change, etc. a misfortune that can't be helped
4. to serve or wait on (a customer, client, etc.)

Etymology: ME helpen < OE helpan, akin to Ger helfen < IE base *elb-, *elp-, to help > early Lith sělbinos, to aid

intransitive verb

1. to give assistance; be cooperative, useful, or beneficial
2. to act as a waiter, clerk, servant, etc.

noun

1. the act of helping or a thing that helps; aid; assistance
2. relief; cure; remedy
3. ☆
   1. a helper; esp., a hired helper, as a domestic servant, farmhand, etc.
   2. hired helpers; employees

Etymology: ME < OE < base of the v.; in U.S., sense of “servant,” prob. a euphemism to avoid stigma of “serve”

interjection