Meanings
- archaicpastsimple past of help: helped.
Thou art my warrior; I holp to frame thee.
c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]1 more example
Both, both, my girl. / By foul play, as thou sayest, were we heav'd thence, / But blessedly holp hither.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii] - Southern USobsoleteparticiplepastAfrican-American Vernacularpast participle of help.
Like most folks around here, I done holp him so much already I can't quit now.
1930, William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying, page 33
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*halp
- Old Englishhealp
- Middle Englishholp
- Englishholp
From Middle English holp (first and third person singular past indicative of helpen (“to help”)), from Old English healp (same form of helpan (“to help”)), from Proto-Germanic *halp (same form of *helpaną (“to help”)). Cognate with German half, Middle Dutch holp (in modern Dutch replaced with hielp). More at help.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
holp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holp
“holp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holp. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holp,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holp.
Source: holp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.