Nearby Words
noun
Idioms1.
plural of half.
2.
by halves,
a.
incompletely or partially: to do things by halves.
b.
halfheartedly: better not at all than by halves.
3.
go halves, to share equally; divide evenly.
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Halves
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
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.
EXPAND6.
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.
COLLAPSEBritish 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
Idioms12.
in or to the extent or measure of half.
13.
in part; partly; incompletely: half understood.
14.
to some extent; almost: half recovered.
15.
by half, by very much; by far: She was too talented by half for her routine role.
16.
half again as much/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.
EXPANDnot half,
a.
not at all; not really: His first attempts at painting are not half bad.
b.
half (def. 15).
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English h(e)alf; cognate with German Halb, Old Norse halfr, Gothic halbs
before 900; Middle English; Old English h(e)alf; cognate with German Halb, Old Norse halfr, Gothic halbs
Synonyms
13. barely, somewhat, partially; sort of.
13. barely, somewhat, partially; sort of.
verb (used with object), halved, halv·ing.
Idiom1.
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.
5.
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To halves
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
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
EXPANDhealf "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 c.1600. Half-brother (early 14c.) and half-sister (c.1200) were in M.E.. Halftime in football is from 1871. half-truth is first recorded 1658; half-hearted is from 1610s. To go off half-cocked "speak or act too hastily" (1833) is in allusion to firearms.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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