What does "halberd" mean?

A two-handed pole weapon, consisting of a long pole with an axe-like blade mounted on it (at a right angle like an axe, not on the tip like a spear), and (opposite the blade) typically a spike or hook.

What is a synonym for "halberd"?

Common synonyms include: ax, hatchet, spear.

Halberd

//ˈhæl.bɚd// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A two-handed pole weapon, consisting of a long pole with an axe-like blade mounted on it (at a right angle like an axe, not on the tip like a spear), and (opposite the blade) typically a spike or hook.
2
a pike fitted with an ax head wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

ax hatchet spear

Example

More examples

"The halberd is a medieval weapon."

Etymology

(1495) Middle French hallebarde, from Italian alabarda, from Middle High German helmbarte (“broad-axe with handle”), from halm, from Proto-Germanic *helmô (“handle”) + barte (“hatchet”), from *bardaz (“broadax”), literally "beard."

Related phrases

halberd fern halberd willow

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.