I. ˈha]f, haa(ə)], hai], hȧ], hä]; in sense 2b the f is often lost when “past” follows noun
( plural halves ]vz)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English healf; akin to Old High German & Gothic halba side, half, Old Norse halfa, Latin scalpere to cut, scratch, Greek skalops mole (animal), Old English sciell shell — more at shell
1. obsolete : part , side
2.
a. : one of two equal parts into which a thing is divisible
half of it
half of the profits
also : a part of a thing approximately equal to the remainder
the larger half of the fortune
: a sizable portion
the bottom half of the social pyramid — N.E.Eliason
— often used without of especially when a quantitative world follows
half the money
b. : half an hour — used in designation of time
half past ten
half after five
3. : one of a pair: as
a. : partner
b. : semester , term
c.
(1) : one of the two playing periods usually separated by an interval that together make up the playing time of certain games (as football) — see quarter 21b
(2) : the turn of one team to bat in baseball
first half of the eighth inning
4.
a. : half crown
b. : half-dollar
5. : significant part : crux , whole — used with a negative
that's not the half of it
6.
[by shortening]
: halfback
7. : half time
•
- and a half
- by half
- by halves
- half a mind
- in half
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English healf; akin to Old High German halb half, Old Norse halfr, Gothic halbs, Old English healf, n.
1.
a. : being one of two equal parts
a half share
a half sheet of paper
b.
(1) : amounting to nearly half : approximately a half
(2) : partial , imperfect
half knowledge of a subject
2.
a. : reaching only half the normal distance
a half gunshot away
b. : extending or covering only half (as of the regular or normal area)
a half window
a half mask
c. : covering the backbone and one quarter of the boards away from the backbone and sometimes the corners
a book bound in half leather
a half -vellum binding
— compare full 12c
d. : part-time
working only half days
half shift
3. chiefly dialect Britain : of a species of small size — used of birds and sometimes of fish
III. adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from half, adjective
1.
a. : in an equal part or degree
b. : only partially : not completely : imperfectly
half digested
half persuaded
2.
a. : at all : really — used with a negative
a performance that wasn't half bad
b. — used with a negative and before a verb to imply the opposite of what is expressed
didn't half beat up the policeman
3.
a. : by half an hour less
half ten o'clock
— used chiefly in Scotland and Ireland
b. — used before a numeral in designating soundings to add one half to the numeral
half six fathoms
c. — used in the nomenclature of points of the compass between the names of two points to designate a position or direction half a point from the first compass point in the direction of the second