half dollar
noun
a silver or cupronickel coin of the U.S., equal to 50 cents.
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half dollar
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half-dollar
half-dollarnoun(in the US) a 50-cent piece
half dollar
Americannoun
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a silver or cupronickel coin of the U.S., equal to 50 cents.
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a silver or nickel coin of Canada, equal to 50 cents.
half-dollar
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of half dollar
First recorded in 1755–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The 1838-O Capped Bust half dollar is one of only nine that are known to exist, according to auction house Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
From Fox News ● Nov. 13, 2019
In the walk-in fridge at Regalis, he pulls out a carefully vacuum-sealed bag of Périgord truffles, Tuber melanosporum, rough black orbs the diameter of a half dollar.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 21, 2017
And that con involving the Kennedy half dollar marks one of the few times that the audience was a step ahead of the writers.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2015
The slain president's profile debuted on the half dollar 50 years ago, and the image was subtly tweaked in the 1990s.
From US News ● Jul. 24, 2014
Then he stopped, reached in his pocket, and flipped a half dollar over the counter.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
A half-dollar that was issued to commemorate America's 150th anniversary in 1926 featured then-President Calvin Coolidge.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The only previous such instance in the country’s history was a 1926 commemorative half-dollar showing then-President Calvin Coolidge alongside George Washington.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Mint also released special 2026 versions of the dime, nickel and half-dollar on Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
A pack of four AirTag tracking devices cost $80 and are about the size of a half-dollar coin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2024
Big Ma doesn’t care if President Kennedy’s face is on the half-dollar or if the airport is now officially named after him.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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