helpmate

English

Etymology

A folk-etymological alteration of helpmeet, by reanalysis as help + mate.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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Noun

helpmate (plural helpmates)

1. A person who supplies help or companionship.

   Synonyms: aide, helper, tutor

2. A wife or spouse.

   Synonyms: helpmeet; see also Thesaurus:spouse

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 191:

     The host himself was one of those very quiet men whom we usually see linked to the most active helpmates.

3. (chess) A recreational problem in chess in which both sides cooperate to achieve a specific goal.

Translations

person who supplies help

• French: compagnon (fr)
• Galician: compañeiro (gl)
• German: Helfer (de) m, Gehilfe (de) m, Begleiter (de) m, Gefährte (de) m
• Italian: aiutante (it) m or f
• Macedonian: по́мошник m (pómošnik), по́магач m (pómagač)
• Portuguese: companheiro (pt) m, ajudante (pt) m or f
• Spanish: compañero (es) m, ayudante (es) m or f
• Swedish: hjälpreda (sv) c

wife or spouse

• Bulgarian: жена (bg) f (žena), съпруга (bg) f (sǎpruga)
• French: compagne (fr) f
• German: Lebensgefährte (de) m, Lebensgefährtin (de) f
• Macedonian: же́на (mk) f (žéna), со́пруга f (sópruga)
• Spanish: compañera (es) f

problem in chess

• German: Hilfsmatt n
• Polish: mat pomocniczy m anim