halter

[hawl-ter]

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.

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]

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]

noun

a person who halts or brings to a stop.

Origin of halter

halt¹ + -er¹

halter

⁴

[hawl-ter]

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]

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

Related Words for halter

sore, damaged, harmed, deformed, handicapped, broken, paralyzed, impaired, mangled, marred, curb, cord, rope, leash, harness, shackle, disabled, halt, stiff, pained

Examples from the Web for halter

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of halter

Put a halter round her neck, and sell her for a pot of beer.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
I've no halter the way I can ride down on the mare, and I must go now quickly.
Riders to the Sea
J. M. Synge
He struck the horse over the flank with the loose end of the halter rein.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
They may win, and if they do, it will be our necks that will be put into the yoke--or the halter.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic
When they reached her gate, it was she who took the halter from Elvin's hand, and tied the horse.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown

British Dictionary definitions for halter

halter

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

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

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

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.