half

HAF/hæf/UKHAHF/hɑːf/

20 meanings of half

1
nouncountable
One of two equal or nearly equal parts of something, or the number one half.
Like splitting a chocolate bar into two equal pieces and keeping one piece.
She broke the cookie and gave her brother half.
Only half of the class showed up today.
UsageSay half the class or half of the class. For more than one, say halves.
Note
2
adjective
Making up one of two equal parts, or equal to fifty percent of something.
Like a glass filled right to its middle line.
Pour a half cup of water into the bowl.
We waited a half hour for the bus.
UsagePut a before it: a half hour. You can also say half an hour.
Oppositefull, whole
Note
3
nouncountable
One of the two equal time periods that make up a game.
Like the two equal parts of a school day, split by a lunch break.
The team scored twice in the first half.
He was injured early in the second half.
UsageSay in the first half or in the second half.
Note
4
adverb
By one half, or about one half, as in half full or half Korean.
Like a line drawn right through the middle, leaving both sides the same size.
His mom is French and his dad is American, so he is half French.
They split the cake half and half between them.
UsagePut it right before the word: half French. Half and half means in two equal parts.
5
partlyadjective
Being only part of something, not full or complete.
Like a job that someone starts but never really finishes.
He gave only a half answer to my question.
She gave me a half smile and went back to her book.
UsageWritten with a hyphen or as two words: half-truth or half truth.
Similarpartial, incomplete
Oppositefull, complete, whole
Note
6
adverb
Only partly, not completely.
Like washing only some of the dishes and leaving the rest dirty.
The house was only half built when the money ran out.
He left his homework half finished.
Similarpartly, partially, incompletely
Oppositefully, completely, entirely, wholly
7
nounslangcountable
A brother or sister who shares only one parent with you.
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 BetweenHere, halves means half brothers and half sisters, sharing one parent.
Note

Less common meanings

8
one shared parentadjective
Related by sharing only one parent or grandparent, not both, as in a half sister.
Like two kids who share the same mom but have different dads.
Her half sister lives in another city.
He has a half brother from his father's first marriage.
UsageNot the same as a stepbrother or stepsister, who has no parent in common with you.
Oppositefull
Note
9
running racenouncountable
A running race that is half the length of a full marathon.
Like running half the distance of a long, famous marathon race.
She finished her first half in under two hours.
They trained all spring to run a half.
Note
10
adverb
Almost, or very nearly.
Like being so tired you are almost (but not fully) asleep.
We got home half dead after the long walk in the heat.
The lost cat was half starved when we found it.
UsageUsed in phrases like half dead and half asleep, often to exaggerate.
Similaralmost, nearly, practically, virtually
Note
11
telling timeprepositionIrelandUK
Thirty minutes after the hour, used when saying the time.
Let's meet at half seven for dinner.
She woke up at half five to catch the early bus.
UsageHalf nine means 9:30. You can also say half past nine to make the time clearer.
Note
12
field sidenouncountable
One of the two sides of a sports field where each team begins play.
Like each team owning one side of a playground for a game.
The ball stayed in our half for most of the game.
She kicked the ball into the other team's half.
UsageUsually our half or their half. The ball is in or goes into it.
Similarend, side
Note
13
nounBritishcountable
A drink of beer or cider that is half a pint.
Just a half for me, please.
She bought two halves and carried them to the table.
UsageSay a half of plus the drink: a half of cider. A swift half is a quick drink.
Note
14
coinnounabbreviationclipping
Short for half-dollar: a US coin worth 50 cents.
He paid the toll with a half.
She collected old halves from the 1960s.
Note
15
child ticketnoundatedUKcountable
A cheaper train or bus ticket for a child.
One adult and one half, please.
The conductor charged us for two halves for the children.
Note
16
verbobsoletetransitive
To cut or split something into two equal parts.
UsageToday use halve for this: they halved the price.
Similarhalve, bisect, dichotomize
Note
17
prepositionrare
Thirty minutes before the hour named. Some other languages tell the time this way, but English almost never does.
18
interjection
A backstage call that tells actors the show starts in thirty minutes.
19
noun
A barrel size that holds twenty-seven gallons of liquid.
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 NectarHere, halves means barrels that hold twenty-seven gallons.
20
noun
One of the three parts of the school year at Eton College.

Practice

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Origin

From Old English 'healf', meaning 'half', 'side', or 'part'. It goes back to older Germanic roots.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Half derives from Old English healf. en.wiktionary.org
Old English healf meant half, side, or part. en.wiktionary.org
The word has earlier Germanic origins. en.wiktionary.org