helmet

 
Pronunciation: /ˈhɛlmɪt/

noun

  • 1a hard or padded protective hat, various types of which are worn by soldiers, police officers, motorcyclists, sports players, and others.
  • 2 Botany the arched upper part (galea) of the corolla in some flowers, especially those of the mint and orchid families.
  • 3 (also helmet shell) a predatory mollusc with a squat heavy shell, which lives in tropical and temperate seas.
    • Family Cassidae, class Gastropoda

Derivatives

helmeted

adjective

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French, diminutive of helme, of Germanic origin; related to helm2