HELPER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does helper mean? 

• HELPER (noun)
  The noun HELPER has 2 senses:

1. a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

2. a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)

  Familiarity information: HELPER used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HELPER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

assistant; help; helper; supporter

Context example:

they hired additional help to finish the work

Hypernyms ("helper" is a kind of...):

worker (a person who works at a specific occupation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "helper"):

birthing coach; doula; labor coach; monitrice (an assistant (often the father of the soon-to-be-born child) who provides support for a woman in labor by encouraging her to use techniques learned in childbirth-preparation classes)

underboss (an assistant or second-in-command to a chief (especially in a crime syndicate))

fashion model; manakin; manikin; mannequin; mannikin; model (a woman who wears clothes to display fashions)

model; poser (a person who poses for a photographer or painter or sculptor)

paraprofessional (a trained worker who is not a member of a profession but who assists a professional)

powder monkey (someone who carries explosives (as from the magazine to the guns on board a warship))

prompter; theater prompter (someone who assists a performer by providing the next words of a forgotten speech)

chief assistant; man Friday; right-hand man (the most helpful assistant)

secretarial assistant; secretary (an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization)

sidesman ((Church of England) an assistant to the churchwarden; collects offerings of money in the church)

foot soldier; subordinate; subsidiary; underling (an assistant subject to the authority or control of another)

water boy; waterer (an assistant who supplies drinking water)

whipper-in (huntsman's assistant in managing the hounds)

cat's-paw; instrument; pawn (a person used by another to gain an end)

enforcer; hatchet man (one whose job it is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior)

girl Friday (a female assistant who has a range of duties)

flower girl (a young girl who carries flowers in a (wedding) procession)

facilitator (someone who makes progress easier)

event planner (someone who plans social events as a profession (usually for government or corporate officials))

actor's assistant; dresser (a wardrobe assistant for an actor)

deputy; lieutenant (an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent)

dental assistant (an assistant to a dentist)

bat boy ((baseball) a boy who takes care of bats and other baseball equipment)

attendant; attender; tender (someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another)

aide; auxiliary (someone who acts as assistant)

accomplice; confederate (a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan))

coadjutor (an assistant to a bishop)

Derivation:

help (give help or assistance; be of service)

help (contribute to the furtherance of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

benefactor; helper

Hypernyms ("helper" is a kind of...):

good person (a person who is good to other people)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "helper"):

bondsman; bondswoman (someone who signs a bond as surety for someone else)

benefactress (a woman benefactor)

uncle (a source of help and advice and encouragement)

sparer (someone who refrains from injuring or destroying)

deliverer; rescuer; savior; saviour (a person who rescues you from harm or danger)

provider (someone who provides the means for subsistence)

patron; sponsor; supporter (someone who supports or champions something)

offerer; offeror (someone who presents something to another for acceptance or rejection)

liberator (someone who releases people from captivity or bondage)

do-gooder; humanitarian; improver (someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms)

good Samaritan (a person who voluntarily offers help or sympathy in times of trouble)

fairy godmother (a generous benefactor)

donor ((medicine) someone who gives blood or tissue or an organ to be used in another person (the host))

bestower; conferrer; donor; giver; presenter (person who makes a gift of property)

accommodator; obliger (someone who performs a service or does a favor)

Derivation:

help (give help or assistance; be of service)

help (contribute to the furtherance of)

 Context examples 

Upon vaccination, AE37 may activate the immune system and stimulate T-helper cells against HER2/Neu expressing cancer cells.

(AE37 Peptide/GM-CSF Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, through the release of IL-12 and IFN, this agent may induce a preferential shift to the T-helper 1(Th1) phenotype resulting in enhanced CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor cytotoxicity.

(CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide GNKG168, NCI Thesaurus)

Additionally, this agent indirectly modulates T-cell responses though the release of cytokines (IL-12 and IFN gamma) to induce a preferential shift to the Th1 (helper) phenotype resulting in enhanced CD8+ cellular cytotoxicity.

(CpG-28 Oligodeoxynucleotide, NCI Thesaurus)

PADRE is a helper T-lymphocyte epitope that is able to augment the magnitude and duration of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response.

(Adenovirus 5-Human Guanylyl Cyclase C-PADRE Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

The investigators noted that mice with a DOCK8 deficiency had novel T follicular helper cells, not found in normal mice, that produced a unique combination of chemical messengers called cytokines.

(Scientists discover immune cell subtype in mice that drives allergic reactions, National Institutes of Health)

The viral peptides expressed after administration of the multi-peptide CMV-MVA vaccine, may stimulate the immune system to mount both cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T-cell responses against CMV-infected cells.

(Multi-peptide CMV-Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

Immunologic evaluation revealed some improvement in helper and suppressor T cell ratio, in vitro cytotoxicity tests, and lymphocyte blastogenic response.

(Copovithane, NCI Thesaurus)

CD28 is essential for CD4+ T-cell proliferation, interleukin-2 production, and T-helper type-2 (Th2) development.

(Anti-CD19-CAR Retroviral Vector-Transduced Autologous T Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

There are many others who have no friends, who must look about for themselves and be their own helpers; and what is their resource?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Helper T cells help activate cytotoxic T cells and macrophages by secreting cytokines.

(CD4-Positive T-Lymphocyte, NCI Dictionary)