haltere

From Ancient Greek ἁλτῆρες (haltêres, “weights held in the hand to give an impetus in leaping”). Note that in the original Greek, there seems to have been no singular for ἁλτῆρες, but in English entomological usage, haltere appears as a back-formation. Sometimes the word halter is used instead, but this leads to confusion with the English halter, which is unrelated in both meaning and etymology.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhæltɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhæltɪɹ/

haltere (plural halteres)

1. (entomology) A small knobbed structure in some two-winged insects, one of a pair that are flapped rapidly and function as accelerometers to maintain stability in flight.

• Tar Heel, Tarheel, leather, lethera

• halter

From Ancient Greek ἁλτῆρες (haltêres, “a type of dumbbell used in Ancient Greece”).

haltere m (plural halteres)

1. dumbbell (a weight with two disks attached to a short bar)

• peso

• halterofilia
• halterofilismo
• halterofilista