Halter

//ˈhɔltɚ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A bitless headpiece of rope or straps, placed on the head of animals such as cattle or horses to lead or tie them.
  2. 2
    One who halts or limps; a cripple.
  3. 3
    Alternative form of haltere. alt-of, alternative
  4. 4
    either of the rudimentary hind wings of dipterous insects; used for maintaining equilibrium during flight wordnet
  5. 5
    A rope with a noose, for hanging criminals; the gallows rope.

    "And Crates said, that love was cured with hunger, if not by time; and in him that liked not these two meanes, by the halter [translating hart]."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    a woman's top that fastens behind the back and neck leaving the back and arms uncovered wordnet
  2. 7
    A halter top.
  3. 8
    rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading wordnet
  4. 9
    a rope that is used by a hangman to execute persons who have been condemned to death by hanging wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To place a halter on. transitive

    "What do you mean, you didn't halter the horses when we stopped for the night?"

  2. 2
    prevent the progress or free movement of wordnet
  3. 3
    hang with a halter wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English halter, helter, helfter, from Old English hælfter, hælftre (“halter”), from Proto-West Germanic *halftrijā (“harness”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut”), equivalent to half- + -ter. Cognate with Scots helter (“halter”), Dutch halfter, halster (“halter”), Low German halfter, helchter, halter (“halter”), German Halfter (“halter, holster”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English halter, helter, helfter, from Old English hælfter, hælftre (“halter”), from Proto-West Germanic *halftrijā (“harness”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut”), equivalent to half- + -ter. Cognate with Scots helter (“halter”), Dutch halfter, halster (“halter”), Low German halfter, helchter, halter (“halter”), German Halfter (“halter, holster”).

Etymology 3

From halt + -er.

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