Webster's English Dictionary

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halter

1. hal.ter \'ho.l-t*r\ n [ME, fr. OE hlftre; akin to OHG halftra 
   halter, OE hiel]fe helve 1a: a rope or strap for leading or tying an animal 
    1b: a headstall usu. with noseband and throatlatch to which a lead may be 
   a ttached 2: a rope for hanging criminals : NOOSE; also : death by ha nging 
   3: a woman's blouse typically held in place by straps around the neck and a 
   cross the back and leaving the back, arms, and midriff bare
2. halter \-t(*-)rin\ vt or hal.ter.ing 1a: to catch with or as if with a 
   halter; also : to put a halter o n 1b: HANG  2: to put restraint upon : 
   HAMPER 
3. hal.ter or hal.tere \'ho.l-t*r, 'hal-\ \-.ti(*)r\ \ho.l-'ti(*)r-(.)e-z, 
   hal-; 'ho.l-.ti(*)rz, 'hal-\ n or hal.teres [NL, fr. L, jumping weight, fr. 
   Gk halte-r, fr. hallesthai to le] pl ap - more at SALLY : one of a pair of 
   club-shaped organs in a dipterous insect that are the m odified second pair 
   of wings and function as sensory flight instruments