half

half
/haf, hahf/, n., pl. halves /havz, hahvz/, adj., adv.
n.
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. Cf. quarter (def. 10).
4. one of two; a part of a pair.
5. Informal.
a. See half dollar.
b. the sum of 50 cents: Four dimes and two nickels make a half.
6. 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. Brit. 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.
9. not the half of, a significant yet relatively minor part of something that remains to be described in full: He accused them of being responsible for the error, and that's not the half of the story. Also, not half of, not half.
adj.
10. being one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole: a half quart.
11. being half or about half of anything in degree, amount, length, etc.: at half speed; half sleeve.
12. partial or incomplete: half measures.
adv.
13. in or to the extent or measure of half.
14. in part; partly; incompletely: half understood.
15. to some extent; almost: half recovered.
16. by half, by very much; by far: She was too talented by half for her routine role.
17. half again as much or as many, as much as 50 percent more: This mug holds half again as much coffee as the smaller one.
18. half in two, Southern U.S. (chiefly Gulf States). in or into two parts; in half: Cut the cake half in two.
19. in half, divided into halves: The vase broke in half.
20. not half,
a. not at all; not really: His first attempts at painting are not half bad.
b. See half (def. 9).
[bef. 900; ME; OE h(e)alf; c. G Halb, ON halfr, Goth halbs]
Syn. 14. barely, somewhat, partially; sort of.

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  • half — [ hæf ] (plural halves [ hævz ] ) function word, quantifier *** Half can be used in the following ways: as a predeterminer (followed by a word such as a, the, this, or his ): We live half a mile up the road. I have to spend half my time taking… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Half — (h[aum]f), a. [AS. healf, half, half; as a noun, half, side, part; akin to OS., OFries., & D. half, G. halb, Sw. half, Dan. halv, Icel. h[=a]lfr, Goth. halbs. Cf. {Halve}, {Behalf}.] 1. Consisting of a moiety, or half; as, a half bushel; a half… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • half — 1. Half functions as a noun or pronoun (the first half of the year / I ve still got half), an adjective (a half share) or predeterminer (i.e. placed before another determiner such as the, half the audience), and an adverb (He ll come half way / I …   Modern English usage

  • half — ► NOUN (pl. halves) 1) either of two equal or corresponding parts into which something is or can be divided. 2) either of two equal periods into which a match or performance is divided. 3) Brit. informal half a pint of beer. 4) informal a half… …   English terms dictionary

  • half — [haf, häf] n. pl. halves [ME < OE healf, part, half, akin to ON halfr, Ger halb < IE (s)kelep , lit., divided < base * (s)kel , to cut > SCALP, SKILL, HELM2] 1. a) either of the two equal parts of something [the top half of the sixth… …   English World dictionary

  • half — HALF, halfi, s.m. (Rar; la fotbal) Mijlocaş. – Din engl. half. Trimis de gall, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  HALF s. v. mijlocaş. Trimis de siveco, 13.09.2007. Sursa: Sinonime  half s. m., pl. halfi …   Dicționar Român

  • half — O.E. half, halb (Mercian), healf (W. Saxon) side, part, not necessarily of equal division (original sense preserved in behalf), noun, adjective, and adverb all in O.E., from P.Gmc. *khalbas something divided (Cf. O.S. halba, O.N. halfr, O.Fris.,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Half — (h[aum]f), n.; pl. {Halves} (h[aum]vz). [AS. healf. See {Half}, a.] 1. Part; side; behalf. [Obs.] Wyclif. [1913 Webster] The four halves of the house. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. One of two equal parts into which anything may be divided, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Half — Half, adv. In an equal part or degree; in some part approximating a half; partially; imperfectly; as, half colored, half done, half hearted, half persuaded, half conscious. Half loth and half consenting. Dryden. [1913 Webster] Their children… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • half — hȁlf m <N mn ovi, G ōvā> DEFINICIJA sport zast. pretežno obrambeni igrač u nekim momčadskim igrama loptom (nogomet, hokej i sl.) zadužen da sprečava protivničke napadače u izvođenju napada i da se uključuje u ofenzivne akcije vlastite… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • half- — sharing one parent, from HALF (Cf. half). Half brother is attested from early 14c.; half sister from c.1200 …   Etymology dictionary

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