helve noun & verb. [hɛlv]
[Old English helfe, (West Saxon) hielfe, corresp. to Old Saxon helfi (Middle Dutch helf, helve), Old High German halp from West Germanic, whence also HALTER noun¹: cf. HELM noun².]
A. noun.
1. A handle or shaft of a weapon or tool. OE.
throw the helve after the hatchet, throw the hatchet after the helve: see HATCHET noun.

2. In full helve-hammer. A tilt-hammer, the helve of which oscillates on bearings, so that it is raised by a cam carried by a revolving shaft, and falls by its own weight. M19.
b. verb trans. Provide or fit with a helve. Now rare. LME.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲