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Haft vs Helve - What's the difference?

haft | helve |

As nouns the difference between haft and helve

is that haft is the handle of a tool or weapon while helve is the handle or haft of a tool or weapon.

As verbs the difference between haft and helve

is that haft is to fit a handle to a tool or weapon while helve is to furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve.

haft

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • The handle of a tool or weapon.
  • * Dryden
    • This brandish'd dagger / I'll bury to the haft in her fair breast.
    Synonyms
    * hilt (sword handle ) * stale, stail, stele, steal (axe handle )

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To fit a handle to a tool or weapon.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * heft

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Northern English dialect) A piece of mountain pasture to which a farm animal has become hefted.

    • helve

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The handle or haft of a tool or weapon.
  • * 1917 , (Robert Frost), The Ax-helve :
    • It was the bad ax-helve someone had sold me— / “Made on machine,” he said, plowing the grain [...].
  • * 1974 , Guy Davenport, Tatlin! :
    • The eyelet in the rose pilleum of his glans welled a clear bead that silled under the corona, wound the veinclomb helve , and ran a snailtrack down the thrum and ridge of the underduct.
  • * 1982 , (Lawrence Durrell), Constance'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 847:
    • Happily they were only sketchily armed, the group-leaders carried pistols and pick-helves .
  • A forge hammer lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head.

    • Verb

  • To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve.
    • ----