halyard

or hal·liard

[ hal-yerd ]

/ ˈhæl yərd /

noun

any of various lines or tackles for hoisting a spar, sail, flag, etc., into position for use.

Words nearby halyard

halutz, halvah, halve, halvers, halves, halyard, halysites, halévy, ham, ham up, ham's test

Origin of halyard

1325–75; Middle English halier rope to haul with (see hale², -ier¹) with final syllable altered by association with yard¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for halyard

Hildebrand and Halyard, muffled in long cloaks, and having their hats bound with mourning-bands, followed mournfully in its wake.
Hildebrand|Anonymous
He stumbled to the sail; but his fingers were all thumbs, and he could not untie the halyard.
Down The River|Oliver Optic
Yes,” he answered; “I have used it as a halyard on my sledge-sail all the time.
Farthest North|Fridtjof Nansen
As for Halyard, he was unspeakable, bundled up in his snuffy shawls, and making uncouth noises over his gruel.
In Search of the Unknown|Robert W. Chambers

"It is all up with us," said Mr. Carboy, the mate, as he dropped the halyard.
The Coming Wave|Oliver Optic

British Dictionary definitions for halyard

halyard

halliard

/ (ˈhæljəd) /

noun

nautical a line for hoisting or lowering a sail, flag, or spar

Word Origin for halyard

C14: halier, influenced by yard 1; see hale ²

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