halyard means A rope used to raise or lower a sail, flag, spar or yard. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
halyard is pronounced /ˈhæljə(ɹ)d/.
Why “halyard” is a great word
HALYARD — [Noun] A rope used to raise or lower a sail, yard, flag, or spar on a ship or to extend a ladder. From Middle English halier ("a rope for hauling, a carrier"), from halen ("to haul") + -iere (agent suffix), with later alteration of the ending by folk etymology to associate it with yard (as in a sail-yard). First attested in the late 14th century. Unlike a "sheet," which trims a sail to the wind, or a "lanyard," which fastens an object in place, a halyard is the dedicated sinew of vertical ambition. It is the groaning heave that muscles a great canvas wing up the mast, the crisp snap of a flag breaking out at dawn, and the taut, singing purchase lifting a lookout toward the horizon—the humble cord charged with the profound, cyclical work of making things rise, then striking them down.
noun
- A rope used to raise or lower a sail, flag, spar or yard.“At last I got my knife and cut the halyards. The peak dropped instantly, a great belly of loose canvas floated broad upon the water […]”
- A rope used to extend a ladder.