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Half

- 9 dictionary results

half

  [haf, hahf] noun, plural halves  [havz, hahvz] , adjective, adverb
Use Half in a Sentence
–noun
1. one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole, as an object, or unit of measure or time; a part of a whole equal or almost equal to the remainder.
2. a quantity or amount equal to such a part ( 1/2 ).
3. Sports. either of two equal periods of play, usually with an intermission or rest period separating them. Compare quarter (def. 10).
4. one of two; a part of a pair.
5. Informal.
a. half dollar.
b. the sum of 50 cents: Four dimes and two nickels make a half.
6. Baseball. either of the two units of play into which an inning is divided, the visiting team batting in the first unit and the home team batting in the second.
7. Football. a halfback.
8. British Informal.
a. a half-crown coin.
b. the sum of a half crown; two shillings, sixpence.
c. a half pint: He ordered a half of ale.
–adjective
9. being one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole: a half quart.
10. being half or about half of anything in degree, amount, length, etc.: at half speed; half sleeve.
11. partial or incomplete: half measures.
–adverb
12. in or to the extent or measure of half.
13. in part; partly; incompletely: half understood.
14. to some extent; almost: half recovered.
—Idioms
15. by half, by very much; by far: She was too talented by half for her routine role.
16. half again as much or as many, as much as 50 percent more: This mug holds half again as much coffee as the smaller one.
17. half in two, Southern U.S. (chiefly Gulf States). in or into two parts; in half: Cut the cake half in two.
18. in half, divided into halves: The vase broke in half.
19. not half,
a. not at all; not really: His first attempts at painting are not half bad.
b. half (def. 15).
20. not the half of, a significant yet relatively minor part of something that remains to be described in full: He accused them of being responsible for the error, and that's not the half of the story. Also, not half of, not half.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE h(e)alf; c. G Halb, ON halfr, Goth halbs

Synonyms:
13. barely, somewhat, partially; sort of.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Half
half   (hāf, häf)   
n.   pl. halves (hāvz, hävz)
    1. One of two equal parts that together constitute a whole.
    2. One part approximately equal to the remaining part.
    3. One of the two playing periods into which certain games are divided.
    4. A halfback.
  2. Informal A 50-cent piece.
  3. Sports
    1. One of the two playing periods into which certain games are divided.
    2. A halfback.
  4. Chiefly British A school term; a semester.
  5. Half an hour: a half past one.
adj.  
    1. Being one of two equal parts.
    2. Being approximately a half.
  2. Partial or incomplete: gave me a half smile.
adv.  
  1. To the extent of exactly or nearly 50 percent: The tank is half empty.
  2. Not completely or sufficiently; partly: only half right.

[Middle English, from Old English healf; see skel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Half

Half\ (h[aum]f), a. [AS. healf, half, half; as a noun, half, side, part; akin to OS., OFries., & D. half, G. halb, Sw. half, Dan. halv, Icel. h[=a]lfr, Goth. halbs. Cf. Halve, Behalf.]

1. Consisting of a moiety, or half; as, a half bushel; a half hour; a half dollar; a half view.

Note: The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound.

2. Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect; as, a half dream; half knowledge.

Assumed from thence a half consent. --Tennyson.

Half ape (Zo["o]l.), a lemur.

Half back. (Football) See under 2d Back.

Half bent, the first notch, for the sear point to enter, in the tumbler of a gunlock; the halfcock notch.

Half binding, a style of bookbinding in which only the back and corners are in leather.

Half boarder, one who boards in part; specifically, a scholar at a boarding school who takes dinner only.

Half-breadth plan (Shipbuilding), a horizontal plan of the half a vessel, divided lengthwise, showing the lines.

Half cadence (Mus.), a cadence on the dominant.

Half cap, a slight salute with the cap. [Obs.] --Shak.

A half cock, the position of the cock of a gun when retained by the first notch.

Half hitch, a sailor's knot in a rope; half of a clove hitch.

Half hose, short stockings; socks.

Half measure, an imperfect or weak line of action.

Half note (Mus.), a minim, one half of a semibreve.

Half pay, half of the wages or salary; reduced pay; as, an officer on half pay.

Half price, half the ordinary price; or a price much reduced.

Half round. (a) (Arch.) A molding of semicircular section. (b) (Mech.) Having one side flat and the other rounded; -- said of a file.

Half shift (Mus.), a position of the hand, between the open position and the first shift, in playing on the violin and kindred instruments. See Shift.

Half step (Mus.), a semitone; the smallest difference of pitch or interval, used in music.

Half tide, the time or state of the tide equally distant from ebb and flood.

Half time, half the ordinary time for work or attendance; as, the half-time system.

Half tint (Fine Arts), a middle or intermediate tint, as in drawing or painting. See Demitint.

Half truth, a statement only partially true, or which gives only a part of the truth. --Mrs. Browning.

Half year, the space of six months; one term of a school when there are two terms in a year.

Half

Half\, adv. In an equal part or degree; in some pa? appro?mating a half; partially; imperfectly; as, half-colored, half done, half-hearted, half persuaded, half conscious. "Half loth and half consenting." --Dryden.

Their children spoke halfin the speech of Ashdod. --Neh. xiii. 24

Half

Half\, n.; pl. Halves. [AS. healf. See Half, a.]

1. Part; side; behalf. [Obs.] --Wyclif.

The four halves of the house. --Chaucer.

2. One of two equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided; -- sometimes followed by of; as, a half of an apple.

Not half his riches known, and yet despised. --Milton.

A friendship so complete Portioned in halves between us. --Tennyson.

Better half. See under Better.

In half, in two; an expression sometimes used improperly instead of in or into halves; as, to cut in half. [Colloq.] --Dickens.

In, or On, one's half, in one's behalf; on one's part. [Obs.]

To cry halves, to claim an equal share with another.

To go halves, to share equally between two.

Half

Half\, v. t. To halve. [Obs.] See Halve. --Sir H. Wotton.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Half
Spanish: mitad,
German: die Hälfte,
Japanese: 半分
More Translations »

half 
O.E. half, halb (Mercian), healf (W. Saxon) "side, part" (original sense preserved in behalf), from P.Gmc. *khalbas "something divided" (cf. O.N. halfr, O.Fris., M.Du. half, Ger. halb, Goth. halbs "half"). Used also in O.E. phrases as in modern Ger., to mean "one half unit less than," cf. þridda healf "two and a half," lit. "half third." The construction in two and a half, etc., is first recorded c.1200. Of time, in half past ten, etc., first attested 1750; in Scottish, the half often is prefixed to the following hour, as in Ger. (halb elf "ten thirty"). Half-and-half "ale and porter" is from 1756; half-baked in sense of "silly" is from 1855; half-breed "mixed race" is from 1760; half-blooded in this sense is from 1605. Half-brother (c.1330) and half-sister (c.1205) were in M.E.. Halftime in football is from 1871. half-truth is first recorded 1658; half-hearted is from 1611. To go off half-cocked "speak or act too hastily" (1833) is in allusion to firearms.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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half

One half of one point. For stock quotes, a half represents one half of $1, or 50¢. For bond quotes, a half represents one half of 1% of par, or $5. For option quotes, a half represents $50.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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half

In addition to the idioms beginning with half, also see at half-mast; better half; by half; glass is half full; go halfway; go off (half-cocked); in half; not bad (half bad); six of one, half dozen of the other; time and a half; with half an eye. Also see under halfway; halves.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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