halse

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /hæls/

Etymology 1

From Middle English hals, from Old English heals (“neck, prow of a ship”), from Proto-Germanic *halsaz (“neck”), from Proto-Indo-European *kols-, *ḱols- (“neck”). Cognate with Dutch hals (“neck”), German Hals (“neck, throat”), Swedish hals (“neck, throat”), Latin collum (“neck”).

Alternative forms

• hawse (Scotland)

Noun

halse (plural halses)

1. (anatomy, archaic) The neck; the throat.

Derived terms

• halseman

Etymology 2

From Middle English halsen, halchen, from Old English *halsian, *healsian (“to embrace”, literally “to fall upon the neck of”), from heals (“neck”). See above. Cognate with Old Saxon helsjen (“to embrace”), Old High German halsōn (German halsen (“to jibe”)), Icelandic hálsa (“to embrace”).

Alternative forms

• haulse
• halsh (dialectal)
• hawse, hose (Scotland)

Verb

halse (third-person singular simple present halses, present participle halsing, simple past and past participle halsed)

1. (obsolete) To fall upon the neck of; embrace.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VIII:

     And therewithall Sir Trystrames rode forth sore wounded to the lady [...]; and there she welcomed hym fayre, and eyther halsed other in armys.

Etymology 3

From Middle English halsen, halsien (“to beseech, adjure”), from Old English healsian, hālsian (“to entreat earnestly, beseech, implore”), from Proto-Germanic *hailesōną (“to greet”), from Proto-Indo-European *kailo-, *kailu- (“whole, safe”). Cognate with Middle High German heilsen (“to predict”), Swedish helsa (“to greet”), Icelandic heilsa (“to salute”). More at whole, hailse.

Verb

halse (third-person singular simple present halses, present participle halsing, simple past and past participle halsed)

1. (transitive) To greet; salute; hail.
2. (transitive) To beseech; adjure.

Related terms

• halsen
• halseny
• hazeney
• hazon

Etymology 4

From Middle English hals (“neck”), from Old Norse háls (“neck, part of the forecastle or bow of a ship”), from Proto-Germanic *halsaz (“neck”). See Etymology 1. Cognate with Danish hals (“neck, tack”).

Alternative forms

• hawse

Noun

halse (plural halses)

1. Alternative form of hawse.

Verb

halse (third-person singular simple present halses, present participle halsing, simple past and past participle halsed)

1. (obsolete) To haul; to hoist.

Anagrams

• hales
• heals
• leash
• Sahel
• Selah
• shale

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Danish

Noun

halse c

1. plural indefinite of hals

Verb

halse (imperative hals, infinitive at halse, present tense halser, past tense halsede, past participle har halset)

1. bark

   Hunden halser: The dog is barking

2. rush

   halse efter: rush after

Synonyms

• (bark): gø