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semi

 [sem-ee, sem-ahy]   Example Sentences Origin

sem·i

   [sem-ee, sem-ahy]
noun Informal.
1.
semitrailer (def. 1).
2.
Often, semis. semifinal (def. 3).
Origin:
by shortening

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Semi is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • It can also be built semi vertical so as to save land space.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

semi-

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

Usage note
See bi-1.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
semi (ˈsɛmɪ)
 
—n , pl semis
1.  (Brit) a semidetached house
2.  short for semifinal
3.  (US), (Canadian), (Austral), (NZ) short for semitrailer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

semi-
from L. semi- "half," from PIE *semi- (cf. Skt. sami "half," Gk. hemi- "half," O.E. sam-, Goth. sami- "half"). O.E. cognate sam- was used in such compounds as samhal "poor health," lit. "half-whole;" samsoden "half-cooked," figuratively "stupid" (cf. half-baked); samcucu "half-dead," lit. "half-alive;"
EXPAND
and the last survivor of the group, sand-blind "dim-sighted" (q.v.). The Latin-derived form has been common in forming native words since 15c.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

semi- pref.

  1. Half: semicanal.

  2. Partial; partially: semiconscious.

  3. Resembling or having some of the characteristics of: semilunar.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
semi-  
A prefix that means "half," (as in semicircle, half a circle) or "partly, somewhat, less than fully," (as in semiconscious, partly conscious).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

semi definition


/se'mee/ or /se'mi:/ A spoken abbreviation for semicolon.
"Commands to grind are prefixed by semi semi star" means that the prefix is ";;*", not 1/4 of a star.
[Jargon File]
(1995-01-31)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
semi

  1. semifinal

  2. semitrailer

SEMI
subendocardial myocardial infarction
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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