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Harness vs Helm - What's the difference?

harness | helm |

As a noun harness

is (countable) a restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps.

As a verb harness

is to place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.

As a proper noun helm is

the only named wind in the british isles blows westward form the pennine fells over cumbria and is often accompanied by a line of clouds on top of the hills called the helm bar.

harness

English

Noun

(es)
  • (countable) A restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps.
  • (countable) A collection of wires or cables bundled and routed according to their function.
  • (dated) The complete dress, especially in a military sense, of a man or a horse; armour in general.
  • * 1606 William Shakespeare, Macbeth , act V, scene V
    • Ring the alarum-bell! Blow, wind! come, wrack!
    At least we'll die with harness on our back.
  • The part of a loom comprising the heddles, with their means of support and motion, by which the threads of the warp are alternately raised and depressed for the passage of the shuttle.

    • Derived terms

    * harnessed antelope * harnessed moth * test harness

    Verb

    (es)
  • To place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.}}
  • To capture, control or put to use.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-16, author= John Vidal
    • , volume=189, issue=10, page=8, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas , passage=Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.}}

    See also

    * (wikipedia "harness") *

    helm

    English

    (wikipedia helm)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) The steering apparatus of a ship, especially the tiller or wheel.
  • (maritime) The member of the crew in charge of steering the boat.
  • (figurative) A position of leadership or control.
    • the helm of the Commonwealth
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 11 , author=Jonathan Stevenson , title=West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Grant will be desperate to finish the job of getting West Ham to their first Wembley cup final in 30 years when they meet Birmingham in the second leg at St Andrews on 26 January; though arguably of more pressing concern is whether he will still be at the helm for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Arsenal.}}
  • One at the place of direction or control; a guide; a director.
  • * Shakespeare
    • the helms o' the State, who care for you like fathers
  • (heraldry) A helmet.
  • (obsolete, UK, dialect) A helve.
    • Derived terms
    * at the helm * take the helm

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be a helmsman or a member of the helm; to be in charge of steering the boat.
  • * Tennyson
    • A wild wave overbears the bark, / And him that helms it.
  • (by extension) To lead (a project, etc.).
  • * 2014 , Malcolm Jack, " John Grant with the Royal Northern Sinfonia review – positively spine-tingling", The Guardian , 1 December 2014:
    • “I wanted to change the world, but I could not even change my underwear,” sings John Grant at the piano, in a luxuriant baritone croon as thick and healthy as his beard. It’s hard to reconcile the guy who once struggled to so much as put on clean pants back in the bad old days – well-storied, not least through his own songs – with the one warmly and gracefully helming this complex, prestigious production – the penultimate date on a tour of packed concert halls, backed by an orchestra.
  • * Shakespeare
    • the business he hath helmed

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) (m), (etyl) . Compare (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m).

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (archaic) A helmet.
  • :* Luken sweord longe, leiden o þe helmen . — Layamon's Brut, 1275
  • :: (They drew their swords and put on their helmen .)
  • :* Þe helm of hel and þe swerd of þe Spirit. — An Apology for Lollard Doctrines, Attributed to Wycliffe, 1475
  • :* The kynge Ban be-gan to laugh vndir his helme . — Merlin, 1500
  • :* {{quote-book
    • , year=1927 , year_published=2008 , edition=HTML , editor= , author=Edgar Rice Burrows , title=The Outlaw of Torn , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage="A fearful apparition," murmured Norman of Torn. "No wonder he keeps his helm closed." }}
  • A heavy cloud lying on the brow of a mountain.
    • (Halliwell)
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (a straw)
    • English terms with multiple etymologies ----