half-second
Britishnoun
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1/120 of a minute of time
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( as modifier )
a half-second lead over the Finn
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a very short period of time; moment
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.
In the 1,000 meters, Stolz trailed the Netherlands’ Jenning de Boo by nearly four-tenths of a second at 600 meters—only to win gold by a half-second.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
Still, even this glossy set of petty tyrants can recognize a creep and a phony in their ranks, sussing which one of their ilk is showing off their veneers for a half-second too long.
From Salon • Apr. 2, 2025
The clock on the mantelpiece in the Cabinet Room ticks surprisingly loudly, marking every half-second.
From BBC • Sep. 14, 2024
Tatar, as with Burakovsky, instinctively hesitated an extra half-second, waited for Korpisalo to commit, then easily stickhandled around him.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2024
There was a half-second pause as it studied him, baring a row of yellow teeth crammed into a gummy black mouth.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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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.