Meaning

noun rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading

noun a rope that is used by a hangman to execute persons who have been condemned to death by hanging

noun a woman's top that fastens behind the back and neck leaving the back and arms uncovered

originFrom Middle English halter, helter, helfter, from Old English hælfter, hælftre (“halter”), from Proto-West Germanic *halftrijā (“harness”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut”), equivalent to half- + -ter. Cognate with Scots helter (“halter”), Dutch halfter, halster (“halter”), Low German halfter, helchter, halter (“halter”), German Halfter (“halter, holster”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0