HALT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does halt mean? 

• HALT (noun)
  The noun HALT has 3 senses:

1. the state of inactivity following an interruption

2. the event of something ending

3. an interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement

  Familiarity information: HALT used as a noun is uncommon.

• HALT (adjective)
  The adjective HALT has 1 sense:

1. disabled in the feet or legs

  Familiarity information: HALT used as an adjective is very rare.

• HALT (verb)
  The verb HALT has 4 senses:

1. cause to stop

2. come to a halt, stop moving

3. stop from happening or developing

4. stop the flow of a liquid

  Familiarity information: HALT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HALT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of inactivity following an interruption

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

arrest; check; halt; hitch; stay; stop; stoppage

Context example:

he spent the entire stop in his seat

Hypernyms ("halt" is a kind of...):

inaction; inactiveness; inactivity (the state of being inactive)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "halt"):

countercheck (a check that restrains another check)

logjam (any stoppage attributable to unusual activity)

Derivation:

halt (cause to stop)

halt (come to a halt, stop moving)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The event of something ending

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

halt; stop

Context example:

it came to a stop at the bottom of the hill

Hypernyms ("halt" is a kind of...):

conclusion; ending; finish (event whose occurrence ends something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "halt"):

stand; standstill; tie-up (an interruption of normal activity)

cessation; surcease (a stopping)

Derivation:

halt (stop the flow of a liquid)

halt (cause to stop)

halt (come to a halt, stop moving)

halt (stop from happening or developing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

freeze; halt

Context example:

a nuclear freeze

Hypernyms ("halt" is a kind of...):

pause (temporary inactivity)

Derivation:

halt (come to a halt, stop moving)

halt (stop from happening or developing)

halt (cause to stop)

• HALT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Disabled in the feet or legs

Synonyms:

crippled; game; gimpy; halt; halting; lame

Context example:

a game leg

Similar:

unfit (not in good physical or mental condition; out of condition)

• HALT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they halt    ... he / she / it halts   
Past simple: halted   
Past participle: halted   
-ing form: halting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to stop

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

arrest; halt; hold

Context example:

halt the presses

Hypernyms (to "halt" is one way to...):

stop (cause to stop)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They halt the animals

Derivation:

halt (an interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement)

halt (the event of something ending)

halt (the state of inactivity following an interruption)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Come to a halt, stop moving

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

halt; stop

Context example:

She stopped in front of a store window

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "halt"):

check (abandon the intended prey, turn, and pursue an inferior prey)

settle (come to rest)

brake (stop travelling by applying a brake)

draw up; haul up; pull up (come to a halt after driving somewhere)

stall (experience a stall in flight, of airplanes)

conk; stall (come to a stop)

rein; rein in (stop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins)

check (stop in a chase especially when scent is lost)

check (stop for a moment, as if out of uncertainty or caution)

pull up short (stop abruptly)

go off (stop running, functioning, or operating)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence examples:

They halt the animals
These cars won't halt

Derivation:

halt (an interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement)

halt (the event of something ending)

halt (the state of inactivity following an interruption)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Stop from happening or developing

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

block; halt; kibosh; stop

Context example:

Halt the process

Hypernyms (to "halt" is one way to...):

forbid; foreclose; forestall; preclude; prevent (keep from happening or arising; make impossible)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "halt"):

embargo (prevent commerce)

stay (stop a judicial process)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

halt (an interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement)

halt (the event of something ending)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Stop the flow of a liquid

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

halt; stanch; staunch; stem

Context example:

stem the tide

Hypernyms (to "halt" is one way to...):

check (arrest the motion (of something) abruptly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

halt (the event of something ending)

 Context examples 

She stumbled and halted in her utterance.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

This results in halting bacterial growth.

(Ethambutol, NCI Thesaurus)

A mechanism designed to quickly halt the movement of a feed table.

(Emergency Table Stop Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

This may eventually halt tumor cell proliferation in Fms and TrkA, TrkB, and/or TrkC-overexpressing tumor cells.

(Fms/Trk Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor PLX7486 Tosylate, NCI Thesaurus)

Holmes halted and looked earnestly at the window.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At the bottom of the bank, beside the water-hole, he halted the sled.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

These genetically modified TIL may recognize and halt the growth of MART-1-expressing melanoma cells.

(Anti-MART-1 TCR Retroviral Vector-Transduced Autologous TIL, NCI Thesaurus)

If electron transport ceases or is inhibited, then ATP synthesis also rapidly halts.

(Electron Transport Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

In either case cell cycle progression was halted and apoptosis occurred.

(Cell Cycle Progression Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

This agent may both inhibit angiogenesis and halt tumor cell growth.

(Anlotinib Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)