halve

American  

[hav, hahv] / hæv, hɑv /

verb (used with object)

halved, halving

1. to divide into two equal parts.

2. to share equally.

   to halve one's rations with a stranger.

3. to reduce to half.

4. Golf. to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent.

---

idioms

1. halve together, to join (two pieces of wood) by cutting from one, at the place of joining, a portion fitting to that left solid in the other.

halve British  

/ hɑːv /

verb

1. to divide into two approximately equal parts

2. to share equally

3. to reduce by half, as by cutting

4. golf to take the same number of strokes on (a hole or round) as one's opponent

---

Other Word Forms

• unhalved
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of halve

1250–1300; Middle English halven, derivative of half

Explanation

To halve something is to divide it into two equal parts. When you share a pizza with your best friend, you can cut it in half, or halve it. A recipe might instruct you to halve an onion, and a little kid might request that you halve her peanut butter sandwich and cut the crusts off. You can also halve less physical things — you can halve your expenses if you reduce them by half, or halve the bill for lunch with your sister, if you split it with her. Halve comes from half, originally an Old English word meaning "side" or "part."

Example Sentences

Halve the lemon and squeeze out 1 tablespoon of juice.

From Washington Post • Mar. 26, 2023

Halve the remaining white and light-green pieces of leek lengthwise.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2023

Halve the two pieces directly down the middle and scoop out all of the guts and seeds.

From Salon • Nov. 19, 2022

Halve carrots lengthwise, if on the larger side, and cut into 4-inch lengths.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2022

Halve them, take out the cores, put them side by side into a well-brightened block-tin saucepan with a closely fitting cover.

From The Book of Pears and Plums by Bartrum, Edward