halter

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

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.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

Definition 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

Definition for halter (3 of 4)

halter³

[ hawl-ter ]

/ ˈhɔl tər /

noun

one who stops.

Origin of halter

halt¹ + -er¹

Definition 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

Example sentences 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

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

halter