half

One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.

Adjective

  1. Consisting of a half (½, 50%).
    • a half kilo
    • a half hour
    • a half dollar

    Synonyms: semi- hemi- demi-

  2. Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
    • a half truth
    • Assumed from thence a half-consent. - 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
  3. Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
    • A half brother or half sister
  4. Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
    • A half uncle or half aunt or half cousin

Origin

Etymology tree Middle English half English half From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz. Cognates Cognate with Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch half, West Frisian heal, Dutch half, German halb, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish halv, Icelandic hálfur and Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 (halbs). Compare halve, behalf.

Forms

'arf ha'f halfe

Derived

all over hell's half acre at half-sword automatic half-barrier level crossing baker's half dozen by half centre-half centre half cheap at half the price cut the baby in half do by half-measures dummy half first half four-half glass-half-empty glass-half-full go half and half go off half-cocked half a century half-a-crown half adder half-a-dozen half a dozen half again half a loaf is better than no bread

Adverb

  1. In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
  2. In some part approximating a half.
  3. Partially; imperfectly.
    • half-colored
    • The task is only half done.
    • I was half persuaded by your convincing argument.
  4. Practically, nearly.
    • To be a King, is halfe to bee a God. - c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published...

Forms

'arf ha'f halfe

Synonyms

halfly

Related

not half

Derived

a danger foreseen is half avoided a fault confessed is half redressed half-arsed half-filled half-forgotten half-full half-hearted half-timbered half to death

Interjection

  1. A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.

Forms

'arf ha'f halfe

Noun

  1. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
    • I ate the smaller half of the apple.
    • You don’t know the half of it.
    • Of the passengers on the plane, half were English.

    1. (sports) One of two equal periods into which a game is divided.

      • An association football match usually consists of two halves of 45 minutes each.

      Coordinate Terms: quarter

    2. (sports) One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.

      • However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to...
  2. Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
    • He came back with a pint of Guinness for me and a half of bitter for Wendy. - 1968, John Braine, The Crying Game, Houghton Mifflin, page 11:
    • I accepted a half of bitter from him. - 1974, James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful, St. Martin's Press,, →ISBN:
    • I went to the bar where I bought a pint and two large brandies. ... "Not brandy," she replied, "but I could use a long drink - maybe a half of lager." - 2006, Bill Appleton, Wide Boy, Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie, →ISBN,...

    1. (UK) half a pint of beer or cider. (Refusing a pint) Just a half, thank you. (Offering to top up a pint glass) Do you want a half in that? (Minimizing the amount of drink taken) A swift half at the Pear Tree.

    2. (liquor trade) A barrel measure of 27 gallons (half a hogshead).

      • Barrels came in firkins, nine gallons; kilderkins, eighteen gallons; halves, twenty-seven gallons; barrels, thirty-six gallons and hogsheads, fifty-four. - 1987, Keith Dunstan, The Amber Nectar, Ringwood: Vicking...
  3. The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
    • Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.

    Synonyms: ½

  4. Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
  5. A half sibling.
    • So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father. - 2016, Robert M. Herzog, A World Between:
  6. A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
  7. abbreviated form for half marathon.
  8. Clipping of half-dollar.
    • Tonight, we're offering the last of the Walking Liberty Halves for awhile:^([sic]) - 2002 August 15, Fred A. Murphy, “FA: Last of the Walkers”, in rec.collecting.coins (Usenet), retrieved 03 Jan 2023:

Forms

halves 'arf ha'f halfe

Derived

ain't half and a half better half by halves call it half a day cry halves fly-half fly half go halves half a brain half a chance half-a-dollar half a grunter half a head half a loaf is better than none half and half half-cock half mask half-pay half-remember half slab half sole half-solid half-world

Preposition

  1. Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.
    • The time is 9:30; it is half nine.

    Synonyms: half past

  2. A half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.
    • In some countries, "half seven" means 6:30.

Forms

'arf ha'f halfe

Verb

  1. To halve.

    Synonyms: bipartition bisect dichotomize dimidiate half halve

Forms

halves halving halved 'arf ha'f halfe