variants
or less commonly halbert
ˈhal-bərt 
ˈhȯl-
: a weapon especially of the 15th and 16th centuries consisting typically of a battle-ax and pike mounted on a handle about six feet long
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A weapon that consists of an ax blade and a sharp spike mounted on the end of a staff, usually about 5–6 ft (1.5–2 m) long, a halberd was an important weapon in middle Europe in the 15th and early 16th centuries. It enabled a foot soldier to contend with an armored man riding on horseback; the spiked head kept the rider at a distance, and the ax blade could strike a heavy cleaving blow. Firearms and the declining use of armor made the halberd obsolete.
Examples of halberd in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.
—
Nicholas Liu, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2024
Also, his halberd starts fritzing on the floor before fading out of existence, a reminder that this is all virtual reality—or rather, VR within VR, the metatextual framing of Ubisoft’s latest Assassin’s Creed game.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
Among them was Stan Wollman, 69, a member of the New Plimmoth Gard, who was dressed in the armor-plated uniform of a pike officer, complete with a halberd — a long, pole-like weapon tipped with a blade.
—BostonGlobe.com, 24 Nov. 2019
For the uninitiated, a halberd is a medieval weapon that looks like a combination of a spear and an axe.
—cleveland.com, 18 May 2017
Words like halberd and basilisk became part of my daily vocabulary.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2012
Ten minutes later, the president’s motorcade was greeted by Swiss Guards who stood to attention with their halberds and ostrich-plumed helmets.
—Margaret Talev, Bloomberg.com, 24 May 2017
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Nicholas Liu, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2024
Also, his halberd starts fritzing on the floor before fading out of existence, a reminder that this is all virtual reality—or rather, VR within VR, the metatextual framing of Ubisoft’s latest Assassin’s Creed game.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
Among them was Stan Wollman, 69, a member of the New Plimmoth Gard, who was dressed in the armor-plated uniform of a pike officer, complete with a halberd — a long, pole-like weapon tipped with a blade.
—BostonGlobe.com, 24 Nov. 2019
For the uninitiated, a halberd is a medieval weapon that looks like a combination of a spear and an axe.
—cleveland.com, 18 May 2017
Words like halberd and basilisk became part of my daily vocabulary.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2012
Ten minutes later, the president’s motorcade was greeted by Swiss Guards who stood to attention with their halberds and ostrich-plumed helmets.
—Margaret Talev, Bloomberg.com, 24 May 2017
Dictionary Entries Near halberd
Cite this Entry
“Halberd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halberd. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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