half title

noun

Also called bastard title. the first printed page of certain books, appearing after the end papers and before the title page and containing only the title of the book.

the title of any subdivision of a book when printed on a full page by itself.

Origin of half title

First recorded in 1875–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for half-title

Historical Examples of half-title

There is no half-title in the Museum copy of this alternative First Edition.
The Works of Lord Byron, Vol. 7.
George Gordon Byron
A half-title page has been removed from the front of the book.
The Bruce
John Barbour
"Of Taste" is found only on the half-title of the first edition.
The Man of Taste
James Bramston
On the half-title is the inscription, "with the Author's best esteem."
A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700 (Vol 1 of 3)
Various
Second edition: with half-title, but without the Dedication.
A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700 (Vol 2 of 3)
Various

British Dictionary definitions for half-title

half-title

noun

the short title of a book as printed on the right-hand page preceding the title page

a title on a separate page preceding a section of a book

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012