half-moon
noun
the moon when, at either quadrature, half its disk is illuminated.
half-moon
1 American
[haf-moon, hahf-]
/ ˈhæfˈmun, ˈhɑf- /
noun
-
the moon when, at either quadrature, half its disk is illuminated.
-
the phase of the moon at this time.
-
something having the shape of a half-moon or crescent.
Half Moon
2
American
noun
half-moon
British
noun
-
the moon at first or last quarter when half its face is illuminated
-
the time at which a half-moon occurs
-
-
something shaped like a half-moon
-
( as modifier )
half-moon spectacles
-
-
anatomy a nontechnical name for lunula
Etymology
Origin of half-moon
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425
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:
To this day, when the pool is drained, the hotel retouches the lines, refreshing Hockney’s iconic blue half-moon marks every year or so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025
Guests will be able to visit 10 wineries for tastings — some of which are offering additional attractions like an eclipse eve tarot card reading, special slushies and half-moon cookies.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
Speaking on a crisp Friday morning at a lodge of an Italian-American fraternal group in the Des Moines suburbs, she addressed a packed room of mostly older voters arranged around her in a half-moon.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2024
The largest planet in the solar system will dominate the early evening sky on January 18, appearing beside a glowing half-moon.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 6, 2023
The half-moon was up before I heard the creaking of the harness and the crunching of the gig on the gravel drive.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
"You never know what to expect at the Half Moon."
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Findell has at least one supporter in Half Moon Capital, another hedge fund with a stake in Figma.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
He received a free seed from Gienger after losing to him by 6 pounds last year in the coveted Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
The 1946 tsunami, triggered by an 8.6-magnitude earthquake near Alaska, flooded parts of Half Moon Bay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2025
I vas in mine little yocht, te Half Moon, and, haaving carried away my powsprit, put into a creek unter Sachem's Heat to cut another from te treesh dere.
From Captain Kyd, Vol. II or, The Wizard of the Sea by Jonathon Holt Ingraham
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.
