halse
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /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, throat”), German Hals (“neck, throat”), Norwegian hals (“neck, throat”), Swedish hals (“neck, throat”), Latin collum (“neck”).
Alternative forms
- hawse (Scotland)
Noun
halse (plural halses)
Derived terms
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”).
Verb
halse (third-person singular simple present halses, present participle halsing, simple past and past participle halsed)
- (obsolete) To fall upon the neck of; embrace.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xxj, in Le Morte Darthur, book VIII:
- soo the Kyng took a lytel hackney and but fewe felauship with him vntyl he came vnto sir Tristrams pauelione / and whanne syre Trystram sawe the Kynge / he ranne vnto hym and wold haue holden his styrope / But the kynge lepte from his hors lyghtly / and eyther halsed other in armes
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xxj, in Le Morte Darthur, book VIII:
Related terms
Etymology 3
From Middle English halsen, halsien (“to beseech, adjure”), from Old English healsian, hālsian (“to entreat earnestly, beseech, implore”), from Proto-Germanic *hailisōną (“to greet”), from Proto-Indo-European *kailo-, *kailu- (“whole, safe”). Cognate with Middle High German heilsen (“to predict”), Swedish hälsa (“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)
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
Danish
Verb
halse (imperative hals, infinitive at halse, present tense halser, past tense halsede, perfect tense har halset)
Synonyms
- (bark): gø