half

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See also: half- and hálf-

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English half, from Old English healf ‎(“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-Germanic *halbaz; akin to Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Dutch half, West Frisian heal, German halb, Swedish halv, Danish halv, Icelandic hálfur and Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 ‎(halbs). Compare halve, behalf.

Pronunciation[edit]

Rhymes: -ɑːf
Rhymes: -æf

Adjective[edit]

half ‎(not comparable)

  1. Consisting of a moiety, or half (1/2, 50%).
    a half bushel; a half hour; a half dollar; a half view
  2. Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
    a half dream; half knowledge
  3. (of a sibling) Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
    A half brother or half sister
  4. (rare, of a relative other than a sibling) Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
    A half uncle or half aunt or half cousin
  5. (Britain, time) Half an hour after the time given; half past.
    We went to bed at half ten.

Usage notes[edit]

  • (consisting of a moiety, or half): The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

See also those listed at Category:English words prefixed with half-.

Terms derived from half (adjective)

.

Translations[edit]

Adverb[edit]

half ‎(not comparable)

  1. In two equal parts or to an equal degree; in some part approximating a half; partially; imperfectly
    half-colored; half done; half-hearted; half persuaded; half conscious
    • John Dryden:
      Half loth and half consenting.
    • Nehemiah 13:24:
      Their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod.

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

half ‎(plural halves)

  1. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided; — sometimes followed by of; as, a half of an apple.
    You don't know the half of it.
    • (Can we date this quote?), John Milton:
      Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Alfred Tennyson:
      A friendship so complete Portioned in halves between us
    1. (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.
  2. Half of a standard measure; frequently used (Britain) for half a pint of beer or cider.
    • 1968 (Britain), John Braine, The Crying Game, Houghton Mifflin, page 11,
      He came back with a pint of Guinness for me and a half of bitter for Wendy.
    • 1974 (Britain), James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful, St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0312020309,
      I accepted a half of bitter from him.
    • 2006 (Britain), Bill Appleton, Wide Boy, Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie, ISBN 1843862530, page 168,
      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."
  3. (preceded by “a” or a number) The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
    Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.
  4. (obsolete) part; side; behalf
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)
  5. Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2): ½

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from half (noun)

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb[edit]

half ‎(third-person singular simple present halves, present participle halving, simple past and past participle halved)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To halve.

Translations[edit]

halve — see halve

Preposition[edit]

half

  1. (Britain, Ireland) a half-hour after, thirty minutes after (used with the number of the hour)
    half one — half past one, 1:30

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Statistics[edit]

Most common English words before 1923: mother · often · themselves · #268: half · certain · sent · keep

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch half, from Old Dutch *half, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

Cognate with English half, German halb, West Frisian heal, Danish halv.

Adjective[edit]

half ‎(not comparable)

  1. half
  2. (with numbers) half before the next whole
    half tien
    half past nine (i.e. half an hour before ten)
    anderhalf
    one and a half (half before two, with ander originally meaning second)

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]

German[edit]

Verb[edit]

half

  1. Past tense singular of helfen.
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