half

[haf, hahf]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR half ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural halves [havz, hahvz] /hævz, hɑvz/.

one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole, as an object, or unit of measure or time; a part of a whole equal or almost equal to the remainder.

a quantity or amount equal to such a part (½).

Sports. either of two equal periods of play, usually with an intermission or rest period separating them.Compare quarter(def 10).

one of two; a part of a pair.

Informal.

half dollar.
the sum of 50 cents: Four dimes and two nickels make a half.

Baseball. either of the two units of play into which an inning is divided, the visiting team batting in the first unit and the home team batting in the second.

Football. a halfback.

British Informal.

a half-crown coin.
the sum of a half crown; two shillings, sixpence.
a half pint: He ordered a half of ale.

adjective

being one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole: a half quart.

being half or about half of anything in degree, amount, length, etc.: at half speed; half sleeve.

partial or incomplete: half measures.

adverb

in or to the extent or measure of half.

in part; partly; incompletely: half understood.

to some extent; almost: half recovered.

Idioms

by half, by very much; by far: She was too talented by half for her routine role.

half again as much/many, as much as 50 percent more: This mug holds half again as much coffee as the smaller one.

half in two, Southern U.S. (chiefly Gulf States ). in or into two parts; in half: Cut the cake half in two.

in half, divided into halves: The vase broke in half.

not half,

not at all; not really: His first attempts at painting are not half bad.
half(def 20).

not the half of, a significant yet relatively minor part of something that remains to be described in full: He accused them of being responsible for the error, and that's not the half of the story.Also not half of, not half.

Origin of half

before 900; Middle English; Old English h(e)alf; cognate with German Halb, Old Norse halfr, Gothic halbs

Synonyms for half

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR half ON THESAURUS.COM

13. barely, somewhat, partially; sort of.

Grammar note

See well¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for half

Eric Garcetti succeeded Villaraigosa and has received high marks in his first year and a half on the job.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As a result, training squadrons—called Formal Training Units (FTU)—are being staffed with less than half the people they need.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says|Dave Majumdar|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Travel Noire fellows earned about a half million travel miles in 2014.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Murders in the City of Angels have fallen by about half in the last 10 years: no small feat for such a big city.
America’s 2014 Murder Capital|Brandy Zadrozny|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Do those things," he said, "and you'll have half a chance of being successful.
Streetwear pioneer, visionary entrepreneur, and community mentor Daymond John is honored with Hennessy Privilege Award|Hennessy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps I was wrong to lose my temper and threaten him, but I am half mad.
An American Suffragette|Isaac N. Stevens
He had a selection on a long box-scrub siding of the ridges, about half a mile back and up from the coach road.
On the Track|Henry Lawson
The morning after our departure was very foggy, and towards noon we had to slow down to less than half speed.
Under the Dragon Flag|James Allan
This class, Mr. C. supposes, embraces one half of the whole number transported from Africa.
Abolitionism Exposed!|W. W. Sleigh
This time he did not regain his poise, but with a movement that seemed half a leap, half a fall, launched himself into mid-air.
Hour of Enchantment|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for half

half

noun plural halves (hɑːvz)

either of two equal or corresponding parts that together comprise a whole
a quantity equalling such a parthalf a dozen

half a pint, esp of beer

Scot a small drink of spirits, esp whisky

sport the half of the pitch regarded as belonging to one team

golf an equal score on a hole or round with an opponent

(in various games) either of two periods of play separated by an interval (the first half and second half)

a half-price ticket on a bus, train, etc

short for half-hour

short for halfpenny (def. 1)

sport short for halfback

obsolete a half-year period

better half jocular a person's wife or husband

by half by an excessive amount or to an excessive degreehe's too arrogant by half

by halves (used with a negative) without being thorough or exhaustivewe don't do things by halves

go halves (often foll by on, in, etc)

to share the expenses (of something with one other person)
to share the whole amount (of something with another person)to go halves on an orange

determiner

being a half or approximately a halfhalf the kingdom
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)half of them came

adjective

not perfect or complete; partialhe only did a half job on it

adverb

to the amount or extent of a half

to a great amount or extent

partially; to an extent

half two informal 30 minutes after two o'clock

have half a mind to to have the intention of

not half informal

not in any wayhe's not half clever enough
Britishreally; very; indeedhe isn't half stupid
certainly; yes, indeed

Related formsRelated prefixes: bi-, demi-, hemi-, semi-

Word Origin for half

Old English healf; related to Old Norse halfr, Old High German halb, Dutch half

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for half

Old English half, halb (Mercian), healf (W. Saxon) "side, part," not necessarily of equal division (original sense preserved in behalf), noun, adjective, and adverb all in Old English, from Proto-Germanic *khalbas "something divided" (cf. Old Saxon halba, Old Norse halfr, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch half, German halb, Gothic halbs "half"), perhaps from PIE (s)kel- "to cut."

Used also in Old English phrases as in modern German, to mean "one half unit less than," e.g. þridda healf "two and a half," literally "half third." The construction in two and a half, etc., is first recorded c.1200. Of time, in half past ten, etc., first attested 1750; in Scottish, the half often is prefixed to the following hour, as in German (e.g. halb elf "ten thirty"). To go off half-cocked "speak or act too hastily" (1833) is in allusion to firearms going off prematurely.

Idioms and Phrases with half

half

In addition to the idioms beginning with half

half a heart, with
half a loaf is better than none
half a mind
half of it
half the battle

also see:

at half-mast
better half
by half
glass is half full
go halfway
go off (half-cocked)
in half
not bad (half bad)
six of one, half dozen of the other
time and a half
with half an eye

Also see underhalfwayhalves.

half

noun, plural halves [havz, hahvz] /hævz, hɑvz/.

adjective

adverb

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Idioms

Origin of half

Synonyms for half

Grammar note

Examples from the Web for half

half

noun plural halves (hɑːvz)

determiner

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for half

half