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Synonyms

halter

1 American  
[hawl-ter] / ˈhɔl tər /

noun

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

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

  3. death by hanging.

  4. 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)

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

  2. to hang (a person).

adjective

  1. (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.
halter 2 American  
[hal-ter] / ˈhæl tər /

noun

plural

halteres

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

halter 3 American  
[hawl-ter] / ˈhɔl tər /

noun

  1. one who stops.

halter 4 American  
[hawl-ter] / ˈhɔl tər /

noun

  1. a person who halts, falters, or hesitates.

halter British  
/ ˈhɔːltə /

noun

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

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

  3. a rope having a noose for hanging a person

  4. death by hanging

"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

verb

  1. to secure with a halter or put a halter on

  2. to hang (someone)

"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

Other Word Forms

  • halterlike adjective
  • unhaltered adjective
  • unhaltering adjective

Etymology

Origin of halter1

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

Origin of halter2

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; salient

Origin of halter3

halt 1 + -er 1

Origin of halter4

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; halt 2, -er 1

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 Cudahy council’s second-in-command seems to have recorded the clip at a party, judging by her black halter top, bright red lipstick, fresh hairstyle and fancy earrings, with club music thumping in the background.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025

The comedian started off the night wearing a strapless metallic dress on the red carpet before switching to a halter neck silver sequined gown to kick the ceremony off.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2025

She wore a white mini skirt, a sparkly white boa, and a powder blue halter top with matching cowboy boots.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2024

Wearing a crisscross black halter top, she beamed while packing up her room to start her freshman year at Florida State University.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2023

Papa had tied the halter rope around the mule’s neck.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

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.