Definition

Noun (Archaic) 1. Lame persons collectively; those who are unable to walk normally. This term refers to a group of people who are physically impaired, specifically in their ability to walk, often due to lameness or a limp. It is used as a collective noun.

Usage

• This word is almost exclusively used in an archaic, formal, or literary context, particularly found in historical or religious texts. In modern English, terms like "the disabled," "people with mobility impairments," or more specific, person-first language are preferred.
• It is typically preceded by the definite article "the" to form the collective noun phrase "the halt."

Examples

• (Archaic/Biblical) "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel to come in, that my house may be filled." (Paraphrase of Luke 14:23)
• (Literary/Historical) "The charity provided shelter for the poor, the blind, and ."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically in very formal or poetic language to describe something that is flawed, incomplete, or impeded, though this is rare.
  • The argument, elegant in parts, was ultimately the halt and the lame. (Meaning: the argument was flawed and incomplete).

Variants and Related Words

• Halt (Verb): To bring or come to a stop.
  • The officer ordered the convoy to halt.
• Halt (Adjective - Archaic): Lame; limping.
  • A halt old man made his way slowly down the path. (This adjectival use is the root of the noun "the halt" but is itself now archaic).

Synonyms

• The lame (archaic)
• The crippled (archaic, now often considered offensive)
• Those who are lame
• People with walking disabilities

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and almost sole meaning of the noun phrase "the halt" is the collective archaic term for lame people. It is crucial not to confuse this with the much more common verb "to halt" (to stop). They are distinct words with different origins (the noun comes from Old English , meaning "lame").

Noun

1. (archaic) lame persons collectively
   • the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind--Luke 14:21