■ noun
1》 a hard or padded protective hat.
2》 Botany the arched upper part (galea) of the corolla in some flowers.
3》 (also ~ shell ) a predatory mollusc with a squat heavy shell, living in tropical and temperate seas. [Family Cassidae.]
Derivatives
~ed adjective
Origin
ME: from OFr., dimin. of helme , of Gmc origin; related to helm 2 .