halter

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

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See synonyms for: halter / halteres / halters 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, upper back, 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.

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Origin of halter

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

OTHER WORDS FROM halter

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

Words nearby halter

Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, Halsted, Halsted's operation, Halsted's suture, halt, halter, haltere, halting, Haltom City, Halton, Halton Hills

Other definitions for halter (2 of 4)

halter²

[ 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.

Also called balancer.

Origin of halter

First recorded in 1820–25; from New Latin, special use of Latin haltēr “handheld weight used in long jumps,” from Greek háltēr, derivative of hállesthai “to jump, leap,” akin to Latin salīre with the same meaning; see salient

Other definitions for halter (3 of 4)

halter³

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

noun

one who stops.

Origin of halter

halt¹ + -er¹

Other definitions for halter (4 of 4)

halter⁴

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

noun

a person who halts, falters, or hesitates.

Origin of halter

⁴

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; see origin at halt², -er¹

How to use halter in a sentence

“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
Video of the event shows Broadwell in a most un-military looking outfit: a hot pink halter top and white short shorts.
Dilworth, Charlotte: Mistressville, U.S.A.?|Diane Dimond|November 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Arkansas Senate Race Forget Bill Halter, have you met John Boozman?
The 6 Races to Watch Today|Samuel P. Jacobs|June 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST
An ad by Americans for Job Security depicts Indian workers in Bangalore thanking Bill Halter for outsourcing jobs at his business.
Will the Anti-Incumbent Revolt Claim Another Senator?|Benjamin Sarlin|June 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST

All polling this spring has shown Boozman with a sizable lead over both Halter and Lincoln.
The 6 Races to Watch Today|Samuel P. Jacobs|June 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He turned kind of white around the gills when he first felt the halter around his neck, and then braced up and not a whimper.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The wonder is that between sword and halter there was any able-bodied man left in Munster.
Ireland Under the Tudors, Vol. II (of 3)|Richard Bagwell
Nothing should prevent him, he said, from leading her to the halter, from makin her his adoarable wife.
Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray
If thy friends agree in calling thee an ass, go and get a halter around thee.
Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala|Various
When I opened the gate I reached for Dolly's halter, but she wheeled in her tracks and let fly at me with both heels.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur

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

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

halter

Origin of halter

OTHER WORDS FROM halter

Words nearby halter

Other definitions for halter (2 of 4)

Origin of halter

Other definitions for halter (3 of 4)

Origin of halter

Other definitions for halter (4 of 4)

Origin of halter

Words related to halter

How to use halter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for halter

Word Origin for halter