halter
/ˈhɔltɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.82 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A bitless headpiece of rope or straps, placed on the head of animals such as cattle or horses to lead or tie them.
noun
A halter top.
noun
Alternative form of haltere.
Example Sentences
- "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]."
- "“[…]No rogue e’er felt the halter draw, with a good opinion of the law, and perhaps my own detestation of the law arises from my having frequently broken it.[…].”"
- "What do you mean, you didn't halter the horses when we stopped for the night?"
- "The two Indians were finished with their own saddling, the camp gear was packed, and already the extra saddle horses and their one packhorse' were haltered so they could be led back to the ranch."
Etymology
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɔltɚ/
- British English: /ˈhɒltə/