Middle English Dictionary Entry
halter n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | halter n.(1) Also haltre, helter, helfter, heltrer. |
| Etymology | OE hælftre |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A halter for a horse or other animal; hors ~; brod ~; smal ~; (b) ~ reines, reins attached to a halter; ~ shaft, a wooden pole or heavy rope attached to a halter.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)139/1162 : A man..huyrde him a mere..with an haltre [vr. halter].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1357 : Aboute hir middel twenty score Of horse haltres and wel mo Ther hyngen ate time tho.
- (1394-5) Cart.Whitby in Sur.Soc.72615 : Pro xii brodheltirs..pro xii smalheltirs.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283b/b : The colte..is..y-ladde wiþ haltres and reynes.
- (1417) J.Dernell in Nrf.Archaeol.15126 : Item v heltrers of lether, price xxx d.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)74a/a : William & Rogerius byndeþ it wiþ a bende kut in þe middez, where þorgh þe nose may passe to maner of halter.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)235 : Heltyr [Win: or halter]: Capistrum.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)418 : Scho fled..Appon ane amblande asse, with-owtten more pride, Safe a barne in hir barme, & a broken heltre Þat Joseph held in hys hande.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5361 : Þe hors heltirs to breke he ran.
- a1486 Jousts of Peace (Mrg M 775)40 : A gret halter for þe rayne of the brydyll.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)56 : Our Mule was agast and brake his halter.
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)83 : Every mon schuld tye his ratons and his myse with a hors nyȝt-cappe, that is to sey, with a hors haltur.
- -?-(?a1500) Hunt.Hare (Adv 19.3.1)86 : Sum [dogs] wer trussed with cordys fast, And sum with haltars that wold not brast.
b
- (1370) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.29164 : In manerio..vij heltirreynes novae.
- (1389-90) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103596 : Marescalcia. 24 helterschaftes, 2 s.
- (1394-5) Cart.Whitby in Sur.Soc.72614 : Pro ii dosan heltirschafts, xii d.
- (1399-1400) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103601 : Marescalcia..12 heltyrreyns.
2.
Fig. (a) develes ~, the devil's noose or snare; casten up the ~, to cast off restraint; (b) the wedding bond; (c) the hangman's noose; hal)peni ~.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)53 : Monie of þas wimmen..smurieð heom mid blanchet, þet is þes deofles sape, and claþeð heom mid ȝeoluwe claþe, þet is þes deofles helfter.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)5 : Leste vncunnyng come yn and caste vp þe halter.
b
- a1450 Loke er þin herte (Sln 2593)p.270 : Lok thou wowe er thou be knet, And, if thou se thou mow do bet, Knet vp the heltre, and let here goo.
- c1500 The shype ax (Ashm 61)268 : Then ansuerd the wyfe..I ame to hym bounde so faste, That of my halter I may not caste.
c
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2946 : A longe peny halter was cast about my nekk.
- (1472-3) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.526a : To the hangmanne 8 d. Paid to John Durham for 2 haltris 3 d.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)377/322 : Ye shall clym on hell crokkys With a halpeny heltere.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. halter.