semi

[ sem-ee, sem-ahy ]
See synonyms for: semisemis on Thesaurus.com

Origin of semi

1
By shortening

Other definitions for semi- (2 of 2)

semi-

  1. a combining form borrowed from Latin, meaning “half,” freely prefixed to English words of any origin, now sometimes with the senses “partially,” “incompletely,” “somewhat”: semiautomatic; semidetached; semimonthly; semisophisticated.

Origin of semi-

2
Middle English <Latin sēmi-; cognate with Old English sōm-, sām- half (modern dial. sam-), Old High German sāmi-,Sanskrit sāmi-,Greek hēmi-;cf. sesqui-

confusables note For semi-

See bi-1.

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How to use semi in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for semi (1 of 2)

semi

/ (ˈsɛmɪ) /


nounplural semis
  1. British a semidetached house

  2. short for semifinal

  1. US, Canadian, Australian and NZ short for semitrailer

British Dictionary definitions for semi- (2 of 2)

semi-

prefix
  1. half: semicircle Compare demi- (def. 1), hemi-

  2. partially, partly, not completely, or almost: semiprofessional; semifinal

  1. occurring twice in a specified period of time: semiannual; semiweekly

Origin of semi-

2
from Latin; compare Old English sōm-, sām- half, Greek hēmi-

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

Scientific definitions for semi-

semi-

  1. A prefix that means “half,” (as in semicircle, half a circle) or “partly, somewhat, less than fully,” (as in semiconscious, partly conscious).

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