What is "helmet"

Hood \Hood\, n. [OE. hood, hod, AS. h[=o]d; akin to D. hoed hat, G. hut, OHG. huot, also to E. hat, and prob. to E. heed.

1. State; condition. [Obs.]

   How could thou ween, through that disguised hood To hide thy state from being understood?
   --Spenser.

2. A covering or garment for the head or the head and shoulders, often attached to the body garment; especially:

   1. A soft covering for the head, worn by women, which leaves only the face exposed.

   2. A part of a monk's outer garment, with which he covers his head; a cowl. ``All hoods make not monks.''
      --Shak.

   3. A like appendage to a cloak or loose overcoat, that may be drawn up over the head at pleasure.

   4. An ornamental fold at the back of an academic gown or ecclesiastical vestment; as, a master's hood.

   5. A covering for a horse's head.

   6. (Falconry) A covering for a hawk's head and eyes. See Illust. of Falcon.

3. Anything resembling a hood in form or use; as:

   1. The top or head of a carriage.

   2. A chimney top, often contrived to secure a constant draught by turning with the wind.

   3. A projecting cover above a hearth, forming the upper part of the fireplace, and confining the smoke to the flue.

   4. The top of a pump.

   5. (Ord.) A covering for a mortar.

   6. (Bot.) The hood-shaped upper petal of some flowers, as of monkshood; -- called also helmet.
      --Gray.

   7. (Naut.) A covering or porch for a companion hatch.

4. (Shipbuilding) The endmost plank of a strake which reaches the stem or stern.

mid-15c., perhaps a diminutive of Old English helm "protection, covering; crown, helmet" (see helm (n.2)). But Barnhart says from Middle French helmet (Modern French heaume), diminutive of helme "helmet," from the same Germanic source as helm (n.2). "Middle English Dictionary" points to both without making a choice. "Old English helm never became an active term in the standard vocabulary of English." [Barnhart]

n. A protective head covering.

1. n. armor plate that protects the head

2. a protective headgear made of hard material to resist blows

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head from injuries.

Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g. UK policeman's helmet) without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from blunt object and sword blows and arrow strikes in combat. Soldiers still wear helmets, now often made from lightweight plastic materials.

In civilian life, helmets are used for recreational activities and sports (e.g. jockeys in horse racing, American football, ice hockey, cricket, baseball, camogie, hurling and rock climbing); dangerous work activities (e.g. construction, mining, riot police); and transportation (e.g. Motorcycle helmets and bicycle helmets). Since the 1990s, most helmets are made from resin or plastic, which may be reinforced with fibers such as aramids.

The word helmet is diminutive from helm, a medieval word for protective combat headgear. The Medieval great helm covers the whole head and often is accompanied with camail protecting throat and neck as well. Originally a helmet was a helm which covered the head only partly.

Helmet is an American alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member.

Helmet has released seven studio albums and two compilation albums. The band found mainstream success with their 1992 major label debut Meantime, which debuted at number 68 on the Billboard 200, with singles " Unsung" and "In the Meantime". After the releases of Betty (1994) and Aftertaste (1997), Helmet broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2004. The band has since released three more albums― Size Matters (2004), Monochrome (2006) and Seeing Eye Dog (2010). Helmet is currently working on a new album, which is due for release in 2016.

A helmet is an article of protective headgear.

Helmet may also refer to:

In heraldic achievements, the helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets. In some traditions, especially German and Nordic heraldry, two or three helmets (and sometimes more) may be used in a single achievement of arms, each representing a fief to which the bearer has a right. For this reason, the helmets and crests in German and Nordic arms are considered to be essential to the coat of arms and are never separated from it.

Open-visored or barred helmets are typically reserved to the highest ranks of nobility, while lesser nobility and burghers typically assume closed helms. While these classifications remained relatively constant, the specific forms of all these helmets varied and evolved over time. The evolution of these heraldic helmets followed the evolution of combat techniques and tourneying in the Middle Ages. The practice of indicating rank through the display of barred or open-face helmets did not appear until around 1615, however, long after the practice of heraldry had been established. As jousting with lances was supplanted by tourneying with maces, the object being to knock the opponent's crest off his helmet, the fully enclosed helmet gave way to helmets with enlarged visual openings with only a few bars to protect the face. These barred helmets were restricted by the imperial chancellery in Vienna to the nobility and certain doctors of law or theology, while the jousting helm was freely adopted by anyone. The direction a helmet faces and the number of bars on the grille have been ascribed special significance in later manuals, but this is not a period practice. A king's helmet, a golden helmet shown affronté with the visor raised, crowned with a royal crown, became adopted by the kings of Prussia. In ecclesiastical heraldry, bishops and other clergy use a mitre or other rank-appropriate ecclesiastical hat in place of a helmet.

Historically, however, the helmet was not specifically granted in an achievement of arms, but was naturally assumed by appropriate rank as a matter of "inherent right", so a helmet with torse and mantling would not be misplaced even above a shield which had no crest to place above it. When multiple crests need to be depicted, the time honoured practice in English heraldry is to draw the crests above a single helmet, each being separated from it, while in German heraldry, where multiple crests appear frequently after the 16th century, each crest is always treated as inseparable from its own helmet and turned in agreement with the helmet. In continental Europe, multiple helmets were usually turned inward, with the center helm (if an odd number) turned affrontê, while in Scandinavian heraldry the helmets were usually turned outward. The arms of the last margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach consist of a shield with 21 quarterings topped with a record thirteen helmets and crests.

The usage of heraldic helmets in Britain is as follows: Gold helmet with bars for the Royal Family; Silver helmet with gold bars for peers; Steel helmet with gold bars for the non-peerage Scottish feudal baron; Open steel helmet shown affronté for knights and baronets; Steel tournament helm for Scottish clan chiefs; Closed steel helmet for esquires and gentlemen.