halberd
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
When Mencken died two years ago, his meat ax seemed as anachronistic as a halberd.
From Time Magazine Archive
My master ordered me to smear the halberd with the sympathetic ointment.
From Auriol or, The Elixir of Life by Ainsworth, W. Harrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
