Halal is the Arabic word for “lawful” or “permitted”. It is a broad term covering what is allowed in the context of Islamic law, but is often used in conjunction with the issue of how meat is dealt with. The opposite of halal is haram, meaning “forbidden”.
The term 'halal' is generally used to describe a lifestyle and, more specifically, butchering practice used by the Muslim community that follows religious law. It only applies to meat and excludes all forms of pork from the menu.