halter

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR halter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a rope or strap with a noose or headstall for leading or restraining horses or cattle.

a rope with a noose for hanging criminals; the hangman's noose; gallows.

death by hanging.

Also called halter top. a woman's top, secured behind the neck and across the back, leaving the arms, shoulders, upperback, and often the midriff bare.

verb (used with object)

to put a halter on; restrain as by a halter.

to hang (a person).

adjective

(of a garment) having a neckline consisting of a cord, strap, band, or the like that is attached to or forms part of the front of a backless and sleeveless bodice and extends around the neck: a halter dress.

Nearby words

Origin of halter

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hælfter; cognate with German Halfter

Related formshal·ter·like, adjectiveun·hal·tered, adjectiveun·hal·ter·ing, adjective

halter

[ hal-ter ]

/ ˈhæl tər /

noun, plural hal·te·res [hal-teer-eez] /hælˈtɪər iz/.

one of a pair of slender, club-shaped appendages on the hindmost body segment of a fly, serving to maintain its balance in flight.

Origin of halter

< New Latin, special use of Latin halter jumping weight < Greek háltēr, akin to hállesthai, Latin salīre to jump (see saltant)

Also called balancer.

halter

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

noun

a person who halts or brings to a stop.

Origin of halter

halt¹ + -er¹

halter

⁴

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

noun

a person who halts, falters, or hesitates.

Origin of halter

⁴

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at halt², -er¹

halt

[ hawlt ]

/ hɔlt /

verb (used without object)

to falter, as in speech, reasoning, etc.; be hesitant; stumble.

to be in doubt; waver between alternatives; vacillate.

Archaic. to be lame; walk lamely; limp.

adjective

Archaic. lame; limping.

noun

Archaic. lameness; a limp.

(used with a plural verb) lame people, especially severely lamed ones (usually preceded by the): the halt and the blind.

Origin of halt

before 900; Middle English; Old English healt; cognate with Old High German halz, Old Norse haltr, Gothic halts, akin to Latin clādēs damage, loss

Related formshalt·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for halter

“There are many after-hours events where you can show off your halter, strapless shirt or dress, or mini-skirt,” Royer wrote.
A Handy Guide To Help You Dress for CPAC|Misty White Sidell|March 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Halter sounded at least a tad reluctant to take on the mantle of the Great Progressive Hope.
Attack from the Left|Benjamin Sarlin|March 2, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The most helpful hint was that twisting the sashes was the key to the halter top.
Can an $895 Dress Be a Bargain?|Nicole LaPorte|November 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
It featured a brief that extended halfway up the midriff, just below the breasts, and was held up with a halter neck tie.
The Return of the Monokini|Renata Espinosa|July 22, 2009|DAILY BEAST

She was 5-foot-2, 105 pounds, wearing a miniskirt and a halter top with a bare midriff.
Bill O'Reilly Is Stalking Me|Amanda Terkel|March 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
We expect to be caught with chaff, like fractious colts coquetting with the halter and secretly not unwilling to be caught.
Unveiling a Parallel|Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Marchant
I can pull you through; but, mind, if you break your word, I'll never leave you until I have put a halter round your neck.
Settling Day|Nat Gould
A horse that has once pulled on his halter can never be as well broken as one that has never pulled at all.
A New Illustrated Edition of J. S. Rarey's Art of Taming Horses|J. S. Rarey
Taking the halter off your thoughts and giving them a good kick behind.
The Roycroft Dictionary|Elbert Hubbard
But Pedrillo twisted the halter around Capitanas muzzle and so tied her to the tail of Peregrina.
In Sunny Spain with Pilarica and Rafael|Katharine Lee Bates

British Dictionary definitions for halter

halter

/ (ˈhɔːltə) /

noun

a rope or canvas headgear for a horse, usually with a rope for leading

Also called: halterneck a style of woman's top fastened behind the neck and waist, leaving the back and arms bare

a rope having a noose for hanging a person

death by hanging

verb (tr)

to secure with a halter or put a halter on

to hang (someone)

Word Origin for halter

Old English hælfter; related to Old High German halftra, Middle Dutch heliftra

halt

/ (hɔːlt) /

noun

an interruption or end to activity, movement, or progress

mainly British a minor railway station, without permanent buildings

call a halt to put an end (to something); stop

noun, sentence substitute

a command to halt, esp as an order when marching

verb

to come or bring to a halt

Word Origin for halt

C17: from the phrase to make halt, translation of German halt machen, from halten to hold 1, stop

halt

/ (hɔːlt) /

verb (intr)

(esp of logic or verse) to falter or be defective

to waver or be unsure

archaic to be lame

adjective

archaic

lame
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the halt

noun

archaic lameness

Word Origin for halt

Old English healt lame; related to Old Norse haltr, Old High German halz lame, Greek kólos maimed, Old Slavonic kladivo hammer

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

Word Origin and History for halter

halter

Old English hælftre "rope for leading a horse," from West Germanic *halftra- "that by which something is held" (cf. Old Saxon haliftra "halter," Old High German halftra, Middle Dutch halfter; see helve). In women's clothing sense, originally "strap attached to the top of a backless bodice and looped around the neck," 1935, later extended to the tops themselves.

halt

"a stop, a halting," 1590s, from French halte (16c.) or Italian alto, ultimately from German Halt, imperative from Old High German halten "to hold" (see hold (v.)). A German military command borrowed into the Romanic languages 16c. The verb in this sense is from 1650s, from the noun. Related: Halted; halting.

halt

adj.

"lame," in Old English lemphalt "limping," from Proto-Germanic *haltaz (cf. Old Saxon, Old Frisian halt, Old Norse haltr, Old High German halz, Gothic halts "lame"), from PIE *keld-, from root *kel- "to strike, cut," with derivatives meaning "something broken or cut off" (cf. Russian koldyka "lame," Greek kolobos "broken, curtailed"). The noun meaning "one who limps; the lame collectively" is from c.1200.

halt

"to walk unsteadily," early 14c., from Old English haltian "to be lame," from the same source as halt (adj.). The meaning "make a halt" is 1650s, from halt (n.). As a command word, attested from 1796. Related: Halted; halting.

Idioms and Phrases with halter

halt

see call a halt; come to a halt; grind to a halt.

halter

noun

verb (used with object)

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of halter

halter

noun, plural hal·te·res [hal-teer-eez] /hælˈtɪər iz/.

Origin of halter

halter

noun

Origin of halter

halter

noun

Origin of halter

halt

verb (used without object)

adjective

noun

Origin of halt

Examples from the Web for halter

halter

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Word Origin for halter

halt

noun

noun, sentence substitute

verb

Word Origin for halt

halt

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noun

Word Origin for halt

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