halberd

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US/ˈhæl.bɚd/US/ˈhɔl.bɚd/US/ˈhɑl.bɚd/UK/ˈhælbəd/

noun

A two-handed pole weapon, consisting of a long pole with an axe-like blade mounted on it (at a right angle like an axe, not on the tip like a spear), and (opposite the blade) typically a spike or hook.

OriginMiddle French hallebarde ← Italian alabarda ← Middle High German helmbarte →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounhalberd (plural halberds)

plural halberds · alternative halbert · alternative halbard

  1. A two-handed pole weapon, consisting of a long pole with an axe-like blade mounted on it (at a right angle like an axe, not on the tip like a spear), and (opposite the blade) typically a spike or hook.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*helmô“handle”
  2. Middle High Germanhelmbarte“broad-axe with handle”
  3. Italianalabarda
  4. Middle Frenchhallebarde
  5. Englishhalberd

(1495) Middle French hallebarde, from Italian alabarda, from Middle High German helmbarte (“broad-axe with handle”), from halm, from Proto-Germanic *helmô (“handle”) + barte (“hatchet”), from *bardaz (“broadax”), literally "beard."

More words from Middle French, Italian, Middle High German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek διβολία
  • διβολία (dibolía)hand weapon
Bulgarian алебарда
  • алебарда (alebarda)hand weapon
Catalan alabarda
  • alabardahand weapon
Chinese Mandarin 戟, 斧槍 /斧枪
  • 戟 (jǐ)hand weapon
  • 斧槍 /斧枪 (fǔqiāng)hand weapon
Czech halapartna
  • halapartnahand weapon
Danish hellebard, atgejr
  • hellebardhand weapon
  • atgejrhand weapon
Dutch hellebaard
  • hellebaardhand weapon
Esperanto halebardo
  • halebardohand weapon
Estonian hellebard, odakirves
  • hellebardhand weapon
  • odakirveshand weapon
Finnish hilpari
  • hilparihand weapon
French hallebarde
  • hallebardehand weapon
German Hellebarde, Halmbarte
  • Hellebardehand weapon
  • Halmbartehand weapon
  • Helmbartehand weapon
Greek αλαβάρδα
  • αλαβάρδα (alavárda)hand weapon
Hungarian alabárd
  • alabárdhand weapon
Icelandic atgeir, bryntröll
  • atgeirhand weapon
  • bryntröllhand weapon
Irish halbard
  • halbardhand weapon
Italian alabarda
  • alabardahand weapon
Japanese 斧槍, 槍斧
  • 斧槍 (fusō)hand weapon
  • 槍斧 (sōfu)hand weapon
  • 鉾槍 (hokoyari)hand weapon
  • ハルバード (harubādo)hand weapon
Korean 핼버드, 핼버트
  • 핼버드 (haelbeodeu)hand weapon
  • 핼버트 (haelbeoteu)hand weapon
  • 미늘창 (mineulchang)hand weapon
  • 도끼창 (dokkichang)hand weapon
Latin hallebarda, hellebarda
  • hallebardahand weapon
  • hellebardahand weapon
Lithuanian alebarda
  • alebardahand weapon
Norwegian hellebard
  • hellebardhand weapon
Persian ناچخ
  • ناچخ (nâčax)hand weapon
Polish halabarda
  • halabardahand weapon
Portuguese alabarda
  • alabardahand weapon
Romanian halebardă, alebardă
  • halebardăhand weapon
  • alebardăhand weapon
Russian алеба́рда, берды́ш
  • алеба́рда (alebárda)hand weapon
  • берды́ш (berdýš)hand weapon
Scottish Gaelic pic-catha
  • pic-cathahand weapon
Spanish alabarda
  • alabardahand weapon
Swedish hillebard
  • hillebardhand weapon
Turkish teber
  • teberhand weapon
Ukrainian алеба́рда, галяба́рда
  • алеба́рда (alebárda)hand weapon
  • галяба́рда (haljabárda)hand weapon
Cite this entry
APA

halberd. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halberd

MLA

“halberd.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halberd. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “halberd,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halberd.

Source: halberd on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.