half-inch

[haf-inch, hahf-]

noun

1. a half of an inch, equal to 1/24 of a foot (1.27 centimeters).

half-inch

noun

1. a measure of length approximately equivalent to 13 millimetres

verb

1. slang,  to steal

Word History and Origins

Origin of half-inch¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of half-inch¹

sense 2: from rhyming slang for _pinch to steal

Example Sentences

Saturday, when about a half-inch of rain fell over roughly 15 minutes on ground that already was saturated, flooding low-lying areas and prompting at least 12 calls for service, Turner said.

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The first storm is expected to bring light to moderate rain, a half-inch to an inch in most areas, but there is a chance of thunderstorms.

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In Southern California’s fire-stricken landscape, a handful of fireproofing trends have emerged — from high-tech solutions such as fire-retardant sprinkler systems, to new building materials such as hempcrete or mass timber, large paneled beams of wood that burn slowly at a rate of a half-inch every hour, giving firefighters more time to stop the fire.

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Most of urban, coastal Los Angeles, however, won’t see amounts above a half-inch, according to the National Weather Service.

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The storm was expected to drop up to a quarter- to a half-inch of rain across the region, while some mountain and desert areas were forecast to see up to an inch or two, according to the National Weather Service.

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