WHELM Meaning of WHELM in English [ wɛlm ]archaic or literary■ verb engulf, submerge, or bury. ■ noun a surge of water.OriginME: representing an OE form parallel to hwelfan 'overturn (a vessel)'. Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004