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

Derived 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."

Related Words

• bayonet