/ ˈhɔːltə(r); NAmE ; BrE also ˈhɒlt-/ noun
1.
a rope or narrow piece of leather put around the head of a horse for leading it with
2.
(usually used as an adjective) a narrow piece of cloth around the neck that holds a woman's dress or shirt in position, with the back and shoulders not covered :
She was dressed in a halter top and shorts.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English hælftre , of Germanic origin, meaning something to hold things by ; related to German Halfter .