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

Example Sentences

At the same time, they are going to halve the value of the health top-up for most new claimants.

From BBC

Australia charges a sales tax of 52 cents on each litre of petrol sold at the pump, which will be halved for three months.

From Barron's

She said the new system of courts had already "halved backlogs and resolved cases months faster in our pilot areas" with "more children feeling heard".

From BBC

Lotus’s share price has almost halved since the start of March.

From The Wall Street Journal

This Nowruz should have been the equivalent of Black Friday for him, but his business was halved compared with last year, he estimated.

From Los Angeles Times