Meanings
plural halecrets · alternative allecret · alternative hallecret
- historicalgovernmentA kind of light armour protecting the bust, used in the 16th century, usually thought to have been a corselet or light cuirass.
The halecret was a kind of corcelet of tvvo pieces, one before and one behind, it was lighter than the cuiraſs.
1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, […], London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC, page 19
Origin
- Middle Dutchhalscleet“gorget”
- Middle Frenchhalecret
- Englishhalecret
First attested in English in 1536 as halkrig and 1540 as halkrik, taken to be from Middle French halecret, itself first attested in 1488 as aldecrez (plural) and 1489 as hallecretz (plural), of uncertain origin. Compare Breton halacred. Perhaps from Middle Dutch halscleet (“gorget”) (see hals (“neck, throat”), cleet (“piece of clothing”)), or related to German Halskragen.
More words from Middle French, Middle Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French halecret
- halecretTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
halecret. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halecret
“halecret.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halecret. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “halecret,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halecret.
Source: halecret on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.