halt

¹

[ hawlt ]

verb (used without object)

1. to stop; cease moving, operating, etc., either permanently or temporarily:

   They halted for lunch and strolled about.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to stop temporarily or permanently; bring to a stop:

   They halted operations during contract negotiations.

noun

1. a temporary or permanent stop.

   Synonyms: stoppage, stop, standstill, suspension, cessation

interjection

1. (used as a command to stop and stand motionless, as to marching troops or to a fleeing suspect.)

halt

²

[ hawlt ]

verb (used without object)

1. to falter, as in speech, reasoning, etc.; be hesitant; stumble.
2. to be in doubt; waver between alternatives; vacillate.
3. Archaic. to be lame; walk lamely; limp.

adjective

1. Archaic. lame; limping.

noun

1. Archaic. lameness; a limp.
2. (used with a plural verb) lame people, especially severely lamed ones (usually preceded by the ):

   the halt and the blind.

halt

¹

/ hɔːlt /

noun

1. an interruption or end to activity, movement, or progress
2. a minor railway station, without permanent buildings
3. call a halt
   to put an end (to something); stop

noun

1. a command to halt, esp as an order when marching

verb

1. to come or bring to a halt

halt

²

/ hɔːlt /

verb

1. (esp of logic or verse) to falter or be defective
2. to waver or be unsure
3. archaic.
   to be lame

adjective

1. archaic.
   1. lame
   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the halt

noun

1. archaic.
   lameness

Other Words From

• haltless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of halt¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from the phrase make halt for German halt machen; hold ¹

Origin of halt²

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English healt; cognate with Old High German halz, Old Norse haltr, Gothic halts, akin to Latin clādēs “damage, loss”

Word History and Origins

Origin of halt¹

C17: from the phrase to make halt, translation of German halt machen, from halten to hold ¹, stop

Origin of halt²

Old English healt lame; related to Old Norse haltr, Old High German halz lame, Greek kólos maimed, Old Slavonic kladivo hammer

Idioms and Phrases

see call a halt ; come to a halt ; grind to a halt .

Synonym Study

See stop.

Example Sentences

New Zealand's parliament was brought to a temporary halt by MPs performing a haka, amid anger over a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the country's founding treaty with Māori people.

From BBC

Olson filed an emergency appeal seeking to halt the recount of untabulated paper ballots in Florida.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump can do this with an executive order that rolls back environmental protections, which would allow him to halt clean energy projects and scrap climate targets set by the Biden administration.

From BBC

Momentum grinding to a halt, the absurdities and indignities that unfolded before this point are all but forgotten, lost in a swirl of badly rendered pixels.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump’s obstinacy continued for weeks, culminating with Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump urged on an angry mob that stormed the Capitol in an attempt to halt the election certification.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cutoff
• freeze
• interruption
• layoff
• letup
• pause
• postponement
• standstill
• termination