halyard

American  

[hal-yerd] / ˈhæl yərd /

Or halliard

noun

1. any of various lines or tackles for hoisting a spar, sail, flag, etc., into position for use.

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halyard British  

/ ˈhæljəd /

noun

1. nautical a line for hoisting or lowering a sail, flag, or spar

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Etymology

Origin of halyard

1325–75; Middle English halier rope to haul with ( hale ², -ier ¹ ) with final syllable altered by association with yard ¹

Example Sentences

Bendersky cited how, in Los Angeles County, the fire department introduced a halyard to make putting up longer ladders and less physically strenuous.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2023

They’ve gone through oodles of elastic, thread, halyard surgical fabric and sheets, all of which seemed to be in short supply at various times throughout the past four months.

From Washington Times • Jul. 18, 2020

The snap hook securing an American flag to its halyard struck the flagpole, sounding a toll in the crisp wind.

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2016

The trouble was clear now: Shamrock's main halyard had snapped.

From Time Magazine Archive

He jumped back to the mast and untied the mainsail halyard.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen