HALTER (halter, halteres)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: halter    , halteres   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does halter mean? 

• HALTER (noun)
  The noun HALTER has 4 senses:

1. rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading

2. a rope that is used by a hangman to execute persons who have been condemned to death by hanging

3. a woman's top that fastens behind the back and neck leaving the back and arms uncovered

4. either of the rudimentary hind wings of dipterous insects; used for maintaining equilibrium during flight

  Familiarity information: HALTER used as a noun is uncommon.

• HALTER (verb)
  The verb HALTER has 2 senses:

1. hang with a halter

2. prevent the progress or free movement of

  Familiarity information: HALTER used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HALTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

hackamore; halter

Hypernyms ("halter" is a kind of...):

headgear (stable gear consisting of any part of a harness that fits about the horse's head)

Holonyms ("halter" is a part of...):

harness (stable gear consisting of an arrangement of leather straps fitted to a draft animal so that it can be attached to and pull a cart)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rope that is used by a hangman to execute persons who have been condemned to death by hanging

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

halter; hangman's halter; hangman's rope; hemp; hempen necktie

Hypernyms ("halter" is a kind of...):

rope (a strong line)

Meronyms (parts of "halter"):

noose; running noose; slip noose (a loop formed in a cord or rope by means of a slipknot; it binds tighter as the cord or rope is pulled)

Holonyms ("halter" is a part of...):

gallows (an instrument of execution consisting of a wooden frame from which a condemned person is executed by hanging)

Derivation:

halter (hang with a halter)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A woman's top that fastens behind the back and neck leaving the back and arms uncovered

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("halter" is a kind of...):

top (a garment (especially for women) that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Either of the rudimentary hind wings of dipterous insects; used for maintaining equilibrium during flight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

balancer; halter; haltere

Hypernyms ("halter" is a kind of...):

wing (a movable organ for flying (one of a pair))

Holonyms ("halter" is a part of...):

dipteran; dipteron; dipterous insect; two-winged insects (insects having usually a single pair of functional wings (anterior pair) with the posterior pair reduced to small knobbed structures and mouth parts adapted for sucking or lapping or piercing)

• HALTER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they halter    ... he / she / it halters   
Past simple: haltered   
Past participle: haltered   
-ing form: haltering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hang with a halter

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "halter" is one way to...):

hang; string up (kill by hanging)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

halter (a rope that is used by a hangman to execute persons who have been condemned to death by hanging)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Prevent the progress or free movement of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

cramp; halter; hamper; strangle

Context example:

the imperialist nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small countries

Hypernyms (to "halter" is one way to...):

bound; confine; limit; restrict; throttle; trammel (place limits on (extent or amount or access))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

“He is a bloody robber,” said the trader, curtly, “and I wish I saw him kicking at the end of a halter.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)