halberd

[ hal-berd, hawl-, hol-; formerly haw-berd ]

/ ˈhæl bərd, ˈhɔl-, ˈhɒl-; formerly ˈhɔ bərd /

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See synonyms for halberd on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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Also hal·bert

[hal-bert, hawl-, hol-; formerly haw-bert]. /ˈhæl bərt, ˈhɔl-, ˈhɒl-; formerly ˈhɔ bərt/.

Origin of halberd

1485–95; earlier haubert<Middle French hallebarde<Middle Low German helmbarde, equivalent to helm handle (cognate with helm¹) + barde broadax (cognate with Middle High German barte)

Words nearby halberd

Halas, halation, halavah, halazepam, halazone, halberd, halberdier, Halberstadt, Halberstam, Halcion, halcyon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use halberd in a sentence

Surrounded, Richard fought on ferociously until his skull was crushed by a halberd.
Unraveling King Richard III’s Secrets||February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A violent blow drew him from his ecstasy; his hat had been knocked off with the stroke of a soldier's halberd.
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
You have a halberd and I a sword, let us start our wanderings over the world.
The Napoleon of Notting Hill|Gilbert K. Chesterton
The next moment M. de Piles fell, pierced by the halberd of one of the archers of the guard.
History of the Rise of the Huguenots|Henry Baird

He was endued with a buff jerkin, wore a broad belt and cutlass by his side, and carried a halberd in his hand.
Quentin Durward|Sir Walter Scott
The jangle of a halberd as its bearer let the butt drop heavily on the stone steps added force to the summons.
The Long Night|Stanley Weyman

British Dictionary definitions for halberd

halberd

halbert (ˈhælbət)

/ (ˈhælbəd) /

noun

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

Derived forms of halberd

halberdier, noun

Word Origin for halberd

C15: from Old French hallebarde, from Middle High German helm handle, helm 1 + barde axe, from Old High German bart beard

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

halberd

Origin of halberd

Words nearby halberd

Words related to halberd

How to use halberd in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for halberd

halbert (ˈhælbət)

Derived forms of halberd

Word Origin for halberd