half
English edit
| ← 1 | 2 | 3 → |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal: two Ordinal: second Latinate ordinal: secondary Adverbial: two times, twice Multiplier: twofold Latinate multiplier: double Distributive: doubly Collective: both, pair, twosome Multiuse collective: doublet, couple, couplet Greek or Latinate collective: dyad Metric collective prefix: double- Greek collective prefix: di-, duo- Latinate collective prefix: bi- Fractional: half Metric fractional prefix: demi- Latinate fractional prefix: semi- Elemental: twin, doublet Greek prefix: deutero- Number of musicians: duo, duet, duplet Number of years: biennium | ||
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
Cognates:
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /hɑːf/
- Rhymes: -ɑːf
- (General Australian, New Zealand, Scotland) IPA(key): /hɐːf/
- (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /hæf/
Audio (US) (file)
- Rhymes: -æf
Noun edit
half (plural halves)
- One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
- I ate the slightly smaller half of the apple.
- You don’t know the half of it.
- Of the passengers on the plane, half were English.
- The cake was delicious: half was vanilla and half was chocolate.
- 1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
- Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
- 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Gardener’s Daughter; or, The Pictures”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 19:
- I and he, / Brothers in Art; a friendship so complete / Portion'd in halves between us, […]
- (sports) One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
- 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport[1]:
- 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.
- Half of a standard measure, chiefly: (Britain) half 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.
- (preceded by “a” or a number) The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
- Synonym: ½
- Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.
- Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
- (slang) A half sibling.
- 2016, Robert M. Herzog, A World Between:
- So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father.
- (UK, dated) A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
- (sports) abbreviated form for half marathon.
- (numismatic slang) Clipping of half-dollar.
Derived terms edit
Terms derived from half (noun)
- ain't half
- and a half
- better half
- by halves
- cry halves
- fly-half
- fly half
- go halves
- half a loaf is better than none
- half and half
- hell and half of Georgia
- how the other half lives
- in half
- in one's half
- know the half of
- left-half
- not half
- not half bad
- other half
- right-half
- scrum half
- scrum-half
- second half
- sharp-and-a-half
- shelter half
- take one's half out of the middle
- the half of it
- time and a half
- too clever by half
Translations edit
one of two equal parts into which anything may be divided
|
half a standard measure
math: fraction
|
part; side; behalf
one of three terms in Eton
half sibling
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Adjective edit
half (not comparable)
- Consisting of a half (½, 50%).
- Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
- a half truth
- 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:
- Assumed from thence a half-consent.
- (of a sibling) Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
- A half brother or half sister
- (of a relative other than a sibling) Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
Usage notes edit
- (consisting of a half): The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound, half-hour.
Derived terms edit
See also those listed at Category:English terms prefixed with half-.
Terms derived from half (adjective). A few may possibly be derived from the adverb, it's hard to tell
- all over hell's half acre
- at half-sword
- automatic half-barrier level crossing
- baker's half dozen
- by half
- centre half
- centre-half
- cheap at half the price
- cut the baby in half
- do by half-measures
- dummy half
- first half
- four-half
- glass-half-empty
- glass-half-full
- go half and half
- go off half-cocked
- half-a-crown
- half adder
- half a dozen
- half again
- half a loaf is better than no bread
- half a loaf is better than no loaf
- half a mind
- half a mo
- half-and-half
- half an eye
- half-angel
- half an hour
- half-ape
- half ape
- half-asleep
- half-ass
- half ass
- half-assed
- half-assedly
- half-awake
- half back
- half-back
- half-baked
- half baked
- half-ball
- half-baptism
- half-barrier
- half-bat
- half bath
- half bathroom
- half bent
- half binding
- half birthday
- half-birthday
- half-blood
- half blood
- half-blooded
- half blue
- half board
- half boarder
- half-boot
- half-bound
- half-brained
- half-breadth plan
- half-break
- half-bred
- half-breed
- half-broken
- half-brother
- half brother
- half brother-in-law
- half-built
- half butt
- half cadence
- half-caf
- half cap
- half-caste
- half-cell
- half cell
- half cent
- half-century
- half-chance
- half-clammed
- half cock
- half-cocked
- half cocked
- half columnar
- half court
- half-court
- half-court line
- half-court violation
- half-cousin
- half-cracked
- half-crown
- half-cut
- half cut
- half day
- half-dead
- half-deal
- half-demon
- half dime
- half-diminished seventh chord
- half-dollar
- half dozen
- half-dozen
- half duplex
- half-duplex
- half eagle
- half-edge
- half-elf
- half-elven
- half-embrace
- half empty
- half-equation
- half-expect
- half-faced
- half fare
- half-finished
- half-first cousin
- half-fish
- half foot
- half forward
- half-free
- half full
- half-gip
- half gip
- half glove
- half-god
- half gross
- half-grown
- half-gyp
- half gyp
- half-halt
- half-hardy
- half-heartedly
- half-heartedness
- half hitch
- half-hitch
- half-holiday
- half hose
- half-hourlong
- half-hourly
- half-human
- half-hunter
- half-identical
- half-inch
- half-integer
- half-integral
- half in the bag
- half-island
- half-jacket
- half-Jew
- half joe
- half-jokingly
- half-kirtle
- half-landing
- half-length
- half-life
- half-light
- half-line
- half lit
- half-long
- half-long vowel
- half-marathon
- half-marathoner
- half-marrow
- half mast
- half-mast
- half-measure
- half measure
- half-metal
- half-metallic
- half-metallicity
- half-mile
- half-monthly
- half moon
- half-moon
- half-mourning
- half murder
- half-naked
- half-natural
- half nelson
- half nephew
- half-nephew
- halfness
- half-niece
- half niece
- half-night stand
- half-noble
- half note
- half-one
- half-op
- half-open
- half-open file
- half-open interval
- half-orphan
- half orphan
- half page
- half-pant
- half-pass
- half-past-six
- half pay
- half-pike
- half-pint
- half pipe
- half-pipe
- half-plane
- half-plate
- half polluted
- half-port
- half-price
- half price
- half-rate
- half-ray
- half-reaction
- half-read
- half rest
- half rhyme
- half-rocked
- half round
- half-royal
- half seas over
- half-seen
- half shaft
- half shell
- half shift
- half-shower
- half-sib
- half sib
- half-sibling
- half-sibling-in-law
- half-sighted
- half-silvered mirror
- half-sister
- half sister
- half sister-in-law
- half-smile
- half smile
- half sovereign
- half space
- half stack
- half staff
- half-staff
- half-standard
- half step
- half-step
- half-strained
- half-suit
- half-term
- half term
- half tide
- half-tide
- half-timbering
- half time
- half-time
- half-timer
- half-tint
- half tint
- half-title
- half title
- half-tone
- half tone
- half-track
- half-tracker
- half truth
- half-truth
- half-uncle
- half-unicorn
- half-up half-down
- half-value thickness
- half viaduct
- half-virgin
- half-volley
- half volley
- half-waking
- half-waxen
- half-wheel
- half-width
- half-wild
- half-wit
- half-witch
- half-witted
- half-wizard
- half year
- half-year
- half-yearly
- half-zip
- jury of half-tongue
- knowing is half the battle
- like one o'clock half struck
- listen with half an ear
- maternal half aunt
- maternal half-uncle
- one and a half
- one-and-a-half-spaced
- one half
- one-half
- on the half hour
- open half space
- paternal half aunt
- paternal half-uncle
- rear admiral lower half
- saw the baby in half
- second-half
- see the glass half-empty
- see the glass half-full
- see with half an eye
- well begun is half done
- you can't be half pregnant
Descendants edit
- → Fiji Hindi: haafaa
- → Hawaiian: hapa
- → English: hapa
- → Japanese: ハーフ (hāfu)
- → English: hafu
- → Maori: hāwhe
- → Pitjantjatjara: aapa
Translations edit
consisting of a half
|
consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half
|
having one parent in common
Adverb edit
half (not comparable)
- In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
- In some part approximating a half.
- Partially; imperfectly.
- half-colored
- half done
- half persuaded
- half conscious
- He does sometimes half wish to change his life, but it is too difficult.
- 1690, [John] Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: […], London: […] Jo. Hindmarsh, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
- Half loth and half consenting.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Nehemiah 13:24:
- Their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod.
- 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, canto V:
- I sometimes hold it half a sin
To put in words the grief I feel;
For words, like Nature, half reveal
And half conceal the Soul within.
- Practically, nearly.
- c. 1587–1588, [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:
- To be a King, is halfe to bee a God.
Usage notes edit
- (approximating a half): The phrase half again expresses an amount in addition to the amount being compared to. E.g., half as many people refers to 50% of the original number, while half again as many people refers to 150% of the original number.
Synonyms edit
- (partially; imperfectly): halfly (obsolete)
Derived terms edit
Terms derived from half (adverb)
Translations edit
in two equal parts or to an equal degree
|
See also edit
Verb edit
half (third-person singular simple present halves, present participle halving, simple past and past participle halved)
- (transitive, obsolete) To halve.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bisect
Translations edit
halve — see halve
Preposition edit
half
- (UK, Ireland) Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.
- Synonym: (North America, Australia) half past
- The time is 9:30; it is half nine.
- (Discuss(+) this sense) (rare, see usage notes) A half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.
- In some countries, "half seven" means 6:30.
Usage notes edit
In English, the first sense (half past) is the only sense in current use. The second sense (half-hour before) is almost exclusively used in reference to other cultural or linguistic backgrounds where a similar usage exists.
Interjection edit
half
- (theater) A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.
References edit
- “half”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Dutch half, from Old Dutch *half, from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
Cognate with English half, German halb, West Frisian heal, Danish halv.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
half (not comparable)
- half
- (with numbers) half before the next whole
- half tien
- half past nine (i.e. half of the tenth hour)
- anderhalf
- one and a half (half before two, with ander originally meaning second)
- half tien
- (with months) the middle of that month
- half maart
Inflection edit
| Inflection of half | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| uninflected | half | |||
| inflected | halve | |||
| comparative | — | |||
| positive | ||||
| predicative/adverbial | half | |||
| indefinite | m./f. sing. | halve | ||
| n. sing. | half | |||
| plural | halve | |||
| definite | halve | |||
| partitive | halfs | |||
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
half
Middle English edit
Etymology edit
From Old English healf, half, from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
Noun edit
half (plural halves or halfes or halven)
- half
- part; side; behalf
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Myllers Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:
- The four halves of the house
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)
Alternative forms edit
Adjective edit
half
Alternative forms edit
Adverb edit
half
Alternative forms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- “half, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- “half, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- “half, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.