halter

Meanings

Noun

• A bitless headpiece of rope or straps, placed on the head of animals such as cattle or horses to lead or tie them.
• A rope with a noose, for hanging criminals; the gallows rope.
• A halter top.
• One who halts or limps; a cripple.
• Alternative of haltere

Verb

• To place a halter on.

Related

Similar words

• headstall
• headpiece
• headcollar

Origin

• From Middle English halter, helter, helfter, from Old English hælfter, hælftre, 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, Low German halfter, helchter, halter, German Halfter ("halter, holster").
• halt + -er