a silver or cupronickel coin of the U.S., equal to 50 cents.
a silver or nickel coin of Canada, equal to 50 cents.
First recorded in 1755–65
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
In order that Tucker could keep at least one of each kind of coin, Harry Cat figured out that they should bring over one half dollar, four quarters, one dime, five nickels, and fifteen cents.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
