half

plural halves · alternative 'arf · alternative ha'f · alternative halfe

1. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.

   You don’t know the half of it.

   5 more examples

   I ate the smaller half of the apple.

   Of the passengers on the plane, half were English.

   The cake was delicious: half was vanilla and half was chocolate.

   Half (of) my friends live abroad.

   I’ve bought some chocolate. You can have half.

   1. hobbiesOne of two equal periods into which a game is divided.

      An association football match usually consists of two halves of 45 minutes each.

   2. hobbiesOne of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.

      However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.

      2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport

2. Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
   1. UKhalf a pint of beer or cider. (Refusing a pint) Just a half, thank you. (Offering to top up a pint glass) Do you want a half in that? (Minimizing the amount of drink taken) A swift half at the Pear Tree.

      I accepted a half of bitter from him.

      1974, James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful, St. Martin's Press,, →ISBN

      2 more examples

      He came back with a pint of Guinness for me and a half of bitter for Wendy.

      1968, John Braine, The Crying Game, Houghton Mifflin, page 11

      I went to the bar where I bought a pint and two large brandies. ... "Not brandy," she replied, "but I could use a long drink - maybe a half of lager."

      2006, Bill Appleton, Wide Boy, Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie, →ISBN, page 168

   2. liquor tradeA barrel measure of 27 gallons (half a hogshead).

      Barrels came in firkins, nine gallons; kilderkins, eighteen gallons; halves, twenty-seven gallons; barrels, thirty-six gallons and hogsheads, fifty-four.

      1987, Keith Dunstan, The Amber Nectar, Ringwood: Vicking O'Neil, page 81

3. preceded by “a” or a numberThe fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.

   Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.

   Synonyms: ½

4. Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
5. slangA half sibling.

   So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father.

   2016, Robert M. Herzog, A World Between

6. UKdatedA child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
7. hobbiesabbreviated form for half marathon.
8. abbreviationclippingnumismatic slangClipping of half-dollar.

   Tonight, we're offering the last of the Walking Liberty Halves for awhile:^([sic])

   2002 August 15, Fred A. Murphy, “FA: Last of the Walkers”, in rec.collecting.coins (Usenet), retrieved 03 Jan 2023

alternative 'arf · alternative ha'f · alternative halfe

1. not comparableConsisting of a half (½, 50%).

   a half kilo

   3 more examples

   a half hour

   a half dollar

   China's population density used to be half that of Britain.

   Synonyms: semi-, hemi-, demi-

2. not comparableConsisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.

   a half truth

   1 more example

   Assumed from thence a half-consent.

   1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC

3. not comparableHaving one parent (rather than two) in common.

   a half brother or half sister

4. not comparableRelated through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.

   a half uncle or half aunt or half cousin

alternative 'arf · alternative ha'f · alternative halfe

1. not comparableIn two equal parts or to an equal degree.
2. not comparableIn some part approximating a half.
3. not comparablePartially; imperfectly.

   half-colored

   5 more examples

   The task is only half done.

   I was half persuaded by your convincing argument.

   The patient was half conscious and muttering a few words.

   He does sometimes half wish to change his life, but it is too difficult.

   Half loth and half consenting.

   1690, [John] Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: […], London: […] Jo. Hindmarsh, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number)

   Synonyms: halfly

4. not comparablePractically, nearly.

   To be a King, is halfe to bee a God.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene v

present singular third person halves · participle present halving · participle past halved · past halved · alternative 'arf · alternative ha'f · alternative halfe

1. transitiveobsolete except nonstandardTo halve.

   Synonyms: bipartition, bisect, dichotomize, dimidiate, halve

alternative 'arf · alternative ha'f · alternative halfe

1. IrelandUKHalf past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.

   The time is 9:30; it is half nine.

   Synonyms: half past

2. rareA half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.

   In some countries, "half seven" means 6:30.

alternative 'arf · alternative ha'f · alternative halfe

1. entertainmentA call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.