halt
1 (hôlt)
[German sing. imperative of halten, to stop, from Middle High German, from Old High German haltan.]
noun
- A suspension of movement or progress, especially a temporary one: The car rolled to a halt when it stalled.
verb: halt·ed, halt·ing, halts.
transitive verb
- To cause to stop: The government hopes to halt tax fraud.
intransitive verb
- To stop; pause: The hikers halted for lunch and some rest. See synonyms at stop
halt
2 (hôlt)
[Middle English halten, to limp, from Old English healtian.]
intransitive verb: halt·ed, halt·ing, halts.
- To proceed or act with uncertainty or indecision; waver.
- To be defective or proceed poorly, as in the development of an argument in logic or in the rhythmic structure of verse.
- To limp or hobble.
adjective
Archaic- Lame; crippled.