/hɑlt/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
/hɒlt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
/hɔlt/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English halten, from Old English healtian (“to be lame, walk with a limp”), from Proto-West Germanic *haltōn, related to *halt. English usage in the sense of 'make a halt' is from the noun. Cognate with North Frisian halte, Swedish halta.
Meanings
(intransitive, obsolete) To limp; move with a limping gait.
Here comes Sir Toby halting — you shall hear more; but if he had not been in drink, he would have tickled you othergates than he did. c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
Do not smile at me that I boast her of,
For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
(intransitive, obsolete) To stand in doubt whether to proceed, or what to do; hesitate; be uncertain; linger; delay; mammer.
How long halt ye between two opinions? 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 18:21:
(intransitive, obsolete) To be lame, faulty, or defective, as in connection with ideas, or in measure, or in versification.
/hɑlt/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
/hɒlt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
/hɔlt/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle French halt, from early modern German halt (“stop!”), imperative of halten (“to hold, to stop”). Doublet of hold (see that entry for more information).
Meanings
(obsolete) A cessation, either temporary or permanent.
Because most diesel failures can be traced to electrical faults, minor in themselves but often difficult to pin-point, any unscheduled halt during a trial run is often the signal for the frenzied unfolding of wiring diagrams and the appearance of an impressive array of voltmeters and circuit testers. 1962 April, R. K. Evans, “The Acceptance Testing of Diesel Locomotives”, in Modern Railways, page 268:
Without any halt they marched. 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, (please specify |book=I to XVI), in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater:
The contract negotiations put a halt to operations.
(obsolete) A minor railway station (usually unstaffed) in the United Kingdom.
On once more we swung, bumping uneasily along in the antique narrow-gauge coach, with gloomy woods and gathering night outside, shouts and songs (and quacks) inside—this was not at all the sort of train ordained by the logical strategists in Paris—then grinding to a stop at a mysterious halt which was no more than a nameboard in the pinewoods, without even a footpath leading to it, but nevertheless with a solitary passenger stolidly waiting. 1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 668:
The highest point on the line is at milepost 21¾, 367 ft. above sea level. Here there is a halt named Kilmakerrill, after which the line descends to Manorhamilton (24¾ miles). 1956 May, D. B. McNeill, “The Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 332:
The halt itself never achieved much importance, even with workers coming to and from the adjacent works.
/hɑlt/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
/hɒlt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
/hɔlt/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle French halt, from early modern German halt (“stop!”), imperative of halten (“to hold, to stop”). Doublet of hold (see that entry for more information).
Meanings
(intransitive, obsolete) To stop marching.
(intransitive, obsolete) To stop either temporarily or permanently.
And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
(obsolete, transitive) To bring to a stop.
(obsolete, transitive) To cause to discontinue.
The contract negotiations halted operations for at least a week.
fr halter (to cause something to stop) · qu sayay (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · es parar (to cause something to stop) · nb skrinlegge (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · sv stoppa (to cause something to stop) · la subsisto (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · es cajonear (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ro opri (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · mk за́пира (to cause something to stop) · ru встать (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ja さまたげる (to cause something to stop) · kw hedhi (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ml നിർത്തുക (to cause something to stop) · ru остана́вливать (to cause something to stop) · pt estagnar (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · fr stopper (to cause something to stop) · bg отлагам (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · qu sayay (to cause something to stop) · fi hyllyttää (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ml നിർത്തുക (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · sv skrinlägga (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · mi urutū (to cause something to stop) · fi seisahtua (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · fr arrêter (to cause something to stop) · no stoppe (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · da skrinlægge (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · mk за́пре (to cause something to stop) · izh seisottaa (to cause something to stop) · mk се дво́уми (to waver or be hesitant) · eo halti (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · de anhalten (to waver or be hesitant) · fi pysäyttää (to cause something to stop) · de zögern (to waver or be hesitant) · ja ためらう (to waver or be hesitant) · es dar carpetazo (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · fi pysähtyä (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · it accantonare (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ru класть на полку (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · mk за́пира (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ja 押し止める (to cause something to stop) · de rasten (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · de stoppen (to waver or be hesitant) · izh piättää (to cause something to stop) · it fermare (to cause something to stop) · ru замирать (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · pl odkładać na półkę (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · izh asettaa (to cause something to stop) · ja 休止する (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · bg прекъсвам (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · fr faire halte (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · de stocken (to cause something to stop) · no avvente (to waver or be hesitant) · bg спирам (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · fr suspendre (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · es engavetar (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · it fermare (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ru замереть (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · ro opri (to cause something to stop) · ga tarraing suas (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · bg слагам на трупчета (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · de anhalten (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · nb henlegge (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · mk за́пре (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · bg колебая се (to waver or be hesitant) · no stoppe (to cause something to stop) · es parar (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · mi urutū (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · no nøle (to waver or be hesitant) · ja 停止する (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · eo haltigi (to cause something to stop) · de stocken (to waver or be hesitant) · fi seisauttaa (to cause something to stop) · ga tarraing suas (to cause something to stop) · de anhalten (to cause something to stop) · bg спирам (to cause something to stop) · de stoppen (to cause something to stop) · it riporre (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · no bremse (to stop either temporarily or permanently) · de stoppen (to stop either temporarily or permanently)
/hɑlt/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
/hɒlt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
/hɔlt/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English halt, from Old English healt, from Proto-West Germanic *halt, from Proto-Germanic *haltaz (“halt, lame”), from Proto-Indo-European *kol-d-, from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to beat, strike, cut, slash”). Cognate with Danish halt, Swedish halt.
Meanings
(archaic, obsolete) Lame, limping.
It is better for the to goo halt into lyfe, then with ij. fete to be cast into hell […] 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark:
Bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:21:
/hɑlt/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
/hɒlt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
/hɔlt/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English halt, from Old English healt, from Proto-West Germanic *halt, from Proto-Germanic *haltaz (“halt, lame”), from Proto-Indo-European *kol-d-, from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to beat, strike, cut, slash”). Cognate with Danish halt, Swedish halt.
/hɑlt/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
/hɒlt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
/hɔlt/ (Australia)
Etymology
Borrowed from French halte. See also Etymology 2.
Meanings
(Ireland, UK, obsolete) A small railroad station, usually unstaffed or with very few staff, and with few or no facilities.
Halts were normally unstaffed, tickets being sold on the train. 2024 June 10, Wikipedia contributors, “Train station”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation: