halberd

American  

[hal-berd, hawl-, hol-, haw-berd] / ˈhæl bərd, ˈhɔl-, ˈhɒl-, ˈhɔ bərd /

formerly halbert

noun

1. a shafted weapon with an axlike cutting blade, beak, and apical spike, used especially in the 15th and 16th centuries.

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halberd British  

/ ˈhælbət, ˈhælbəd /

noun

1. a weapon consisting of a long shaft with an axe blade and a pick, topped by a spearhead: used in 15th- and 16th-century warfare

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Other Word Forms

• halberdier noun

Etymology

Origin of halberd

1485–95; earlier haubert < Middle French hallebarde < Middle Low German helmbarde, equivalent to helm handle (cognate with helm ¹ ) + barde broadax (cognate with Middle High German barte )

Explanation

A halberd was a common weapon during the 14th and 15th centuries. Halberds looked like axes with very long handles and narrow spikes on top. A soldier who used a halberd was known as a halberdier. Halberds were popular because they were versatile — they included an ax head, a curved hook on one side, and a sharp spike, essentially combining a spear or pike and a battle-ax in one. The word derives from the Middle High German halmbarte, "ax with handle."

Example Sentences

The halberd fern gene protected the cotton from whiteflies and other sucking pests, and Singh has now isolated other fern compounds that deter chewing insects, such as caterpillars.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 16, 2023

Last year, CAH held a 99 percent off sale on a series of outlandish items like a 17th-century halberd and a 2015 Ford Fiesta with just 25,000 miles on it.

From The Verge • Nov. 29, 2019

But what if you uncover that great halberd, and you happen to be a wizard who can’t use big honking polearms at all?

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2011

But it may be time to bury the halberd.

From Time Magazine Archive

Spontoon, spon-tōōn′, n. a weapon somewhat like a halberd, which used to be carried by certain officers of foot.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Related Words

• bayonet