# helve

> English word · Noun · IPA /hɛlv/

## Definitions
1. The handle or haft of a tool or weapon.
2. A forge hammer lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head.

## Etymology
From Middle English helfe, helve; from Old English hielfe, from Proto-Germanic *halbiją. Probably cognate to English half, although Etymonline claims relation from halter and helm.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/helve