halve

American  

[hav, hahv] / hæv, hɑv /

verb (used with object)

halved, halving

1. to divide into two equal parts.

2. to share equally.

   to halve one's rations with a stranger.

3. to reduce to half.

4. Golf. to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent.

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idioms

1. halve together, to join (two pieces of wood) by cutting from one, at the place of joining, a portion fitting to that left solid in the other.

halve British  

/ hɑːv /

verb

1. to divide into two approximately equal parts

2. to share equally

3. to reduce by half, as by cutting

4. golf to take the same number of strokes on (a hole or round) as one's opponent

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Other Word Forms

• unhalved
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of halve

1250–1300; Middle English halven, derivative of half

Explanation

To halve something is to divide it into two equal parts. When you share a pizza with your best friend, you can cut it in half, or halve it. A recipe might instruct you to halve an onion, and a little kid might request that you halve her peanut butter sandwich and cut the crusts off. You can also halve less physical things — you can halve your expenses if you reduce them by half, or halve the bill for lunch with your sister, if you split it with her. Halve comes from half, originally an Old English word meaning "side" or "part."

Example Sentences

Exercise capacity declines by about 1% annually after the late 20s, but regular workouts can halve this age-related reduction.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Tech hardware stocks may halve in value, similar to what investors experienced in the sector during the 2008-09 global financial crisis, while software stocks and retail are likely to fall 25% to 30%, Panmure said.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

Individually, people often earn the same or more after divorce, yet end up poorer because expenses don’t halve the way the household does.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The game, which had been physical all afternoon, turned chippy after that, giving the Kings a power play they took advantage to halve Colorado’s lead.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Just when I think I’m getting the hang of something, Asher will halve the time required of us to do certain missions or perform certain moves.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu