Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US 20C+) the noose used in a judicial hanging.

1512		Hickscorner Bi: By our lady then wyll ye be staungled in a halter.
1515–16		Skelton Magnyfycence line 1911: Some I make in a rope to totter [...] And some for to hange themselfe in a halter.
c.1540		J. Heywood Four P.P. in Farmer Dramatic Writings (1905) 46: poth.: It purgeth you clean from the choler; And maketh your stomach sore to walter, That ye shall never come to the halter. ped.: Then is that medicine a sovereign thing To preserve a man from hanging.
c.1551		Tom Tyler and his Wife (1661) in Farmer (1908) 56: Now a halter stretch you, And them that sent you!
1568		U. Fulwell Like Will to Like 51: With them it is much worse, for the halter shall them bow.
1575-83		‘Bashe Libel’ in May & Bryson Verse Libel 83: Lest if the whorson, heavy cowe / Should straine the halter.
1584		Three Ladies of London III: A man like you in a greene field pendant, Hauing a hempen halter about his necke, with a knot under the left eare.
1592		Greene Blacke Bookes Messenger 6: Why, I see the halter will make a man holy.
1600		J. Day Blind Beggar of Bednall-Green Act III: Farewell Snip, pray let’s see ye all at the Gallows, till when I bequeath this halter amongst ye, in token of my love, and so adue.
1612		N. Field Woman is a Weathercock IV ii: He scorns you at his heels [...] And has sent this halter. You may hang yourself.
1624		Middleton Game at Chess II i: Yonder’s Black Knight, the fistula of Europe, Whose disease once I undertook to cure With a High Holborn halter.
1630		J. Taylor ‘Superbiae Flagellum’ in Works (1869) I 29: And that he wore a halter for the nonce, / In pride that he deserued hanging once?
1640		Fletcher Night-Walker IIi i: Buy an honorable halter, and hang they selfe.
1654–5		Mercurius Fumigosus 31 27 Dec.–3 Jan. 246: The Broakers, Usurers, and Thieves for shrifts / I give new Halters for their New-years Gifts.
a.1661		‘A New Ballad’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) ii 8: Hee’s your dog in a Halter.
1670		J. Ray Proverbs 212: A halter and a rope for him that will be Pope.
1678		Ordinary of Newgate Account 16 Dec. 7: When they were putting on the Halters in the Lodge, he that did it, after it was on, asked Russel if it hurt him?
1683		Whores Rhetorick 37: They might ’scape the Halter, starving in a corner, rotting of the Canker, or the French-Pox, if they were not silly idle, ridiculous, negligent, absurd asses.
1698		N. Ward London Spy I 8: He has [...] always Wit and Money enough to save his own Neck from the Halter.
1701		Cibber Love Makes a Man V i: If there be any real Hopes of his having an Halter, let’s know it in three Words.
1714		A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 233: The sight of Line, Rope, or Halter could not daunt.
1722		J. Carrick Account of Robberies 21: We continued for six Months [...] without going upon any Enterprize that could any way make us run the risque of a Halter.
1726		A. Smith Memoirs of... Jonathan Wild 19: hail! rev’rend Tripos, tripple Tree of State / [...] / And that dear Halter also Consecrate, / Which did his [i.e. Jonathan Wild] Exit in thy Presence date.
1730		J. Gay Wife of Bath (rev. edn) V viii: You shall be hang’d – you dog – a blessing! a halter!
1744		‘Nurse Lovechild’ Tommy Thumb’s Songbook II 42: The Dog will bark, / I dare not to Stir, / Take a Halter / And Hang up the Cur.
1757		Foote Author in Works (1799) I 137: sprightly.: What carried him off? vamp.: A halter. Hang’d for clipping and coining.
1764		K. O’Hara Midas II i: Not the halter / Can alter / The passion that’s rooted here.
1775		Sheridan St Patrick’s Day II iv: I can’t bear the thought of his escaping the halter.
1781		Hicky’s Bengal Gaz. 6-13 Oct. n.p.: Perhaps you would rather have a little arsenic; or if you prefer a halter, Pistol or rasor [sic] I have them all at your service.
c.1790		‘Bad Half-pence’ in Holloway & Black (1979) II 242: You’ll be choaked without the expence of a halter, and poor Jack Ketch will be robb’d of a customer.
1797		‘T.B. Junr.’ Pettyfogger Dramatized I iii: The best way to keep my head out of the halter, is to run away.
c.1800		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Out At Last!’ Works (1801) V 126: Each with a halter round her neck, Shall sing with trembling, trembling dread.
1812		W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Picturesque (1868) 55/2: If fair justice does not falter, / She’ll deck the Bishop with a halter.
c.1820		‘A New Song’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 97: Give your Vote — give the Rascal a Halter.
1831		Satirist (London) 15 May 43/2: D—n it, you deserve a halter. / So do you, you old defaulter.
1834		N. Ames ‘Morton’ An Old Sailor’s Yarns 157: I have known many young men, who could not write two consecutive sentences [...] if it was to save their well-stocked necks from the halter.
1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 229: ‘I am speaking of the willain with the sixteen halters round his throat. You know who I mean—Sixteen string Tom—or Peter—or Jack.’ [...] ‘What, the famous highway man?’ said Jack.
1852		G.C. Mundy Our Antipodes II 126: A halter for the gallows-bird.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 143/2: I always come on to that scene with a white night-cap and a halter on my arm.
1874		J. Greenwood Wilds of London (1881) 169: Brave fellows who, scorning to flinch or to falter, / Defy full-wigged beaks, and don’t care for the halter.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 99: It ain’t good sense to go court’n around after a halter.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 25 Apr. 18/4: In point of fact, there are few ways of taking human life that [the Bible] does not sanction, and Judas Iscariot is as highly commended for stringing himself up with a halter as Moses is for thumping the Egyptian to death, after the manner of Mr. Slogger Sullivan.
1904		Number 1500 Life In Sing Sing 249: Halter. Hangman’s noose.
1912		D. Lowrie My Life in Prison 411: No thief e’er yet felt halter drawn With good opinion of the law.
1924		G. Henderson Keys to Crookdom 407: Halter. Hangman’s rope, the noose.
1936		L. Pound ‘American Euphemisms for Dying’ in AS XI:3 200: Put on the hempen collar/cravat/necktie/necklace/anodyne necklace/choker/halter.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1981		C. Hope Separate Development 41: Young fool. You’ll grease the halter, yet, Moto. By all means go to hell in your own way then – but first get your matric.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 105: Halter A hangman’s noose.