# half

Pronunciation: US say "HAF" /hæf/; UK say "HAHF" /hɑːf/

## Noun

1. One of two equal or nearly equal parts of something; the number or quantity equal to one divided by two.
   - Simple: One of two equal or nearly equal parts of something, or the number one half.
   - _She poured the batter, keeping half for the next day._
   - _The two halves of the walnut shell fit together perfectly._
3. One of the two equal periods into which a game such as soccer or basketball is divided.
   - Simple: One of the two equal time periods that make up a game.
   - _The home side dominated the opening half._
   - _Both goals came in the second half of the match._
7. A brother or sister who shares only one parent rather than both. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A brother or sister who shares only one parent with you.
9. A road race covering half the distance of a marathon, about 13.1 miles.
   - Simple: A running race that is half the length of a full marathon.
   - _He set a personal best in last weekend's half._
   - _Hundreds of runners signed up for the spring half._
12. Either of the two opposite sides of a sports field, with each team starting in one.
   - Simple: One of the two sides of a sports field where each team begins play.
   - _The defenders rarely left their own half during the match._
   - _He launched the ball deep into the opponents' half._
13. A measure of beer or cider equal to half a pint, often ordered instead of a full pint. *(British)*
   - Simple: A drink of beer or cider that is half a pint.
   - _I'll just have a half of lager, since I'm driving._
   - _He ordered a half of cider and sat down by the fire._
14. Short for half-dollar: a US coin worth fifty cents. — Clipping of half-dollar.
   - Simple: Short for half-dollar: a US coin worth 50 cents.
   - _The dealer offered me a half in mint condition._
   - _Collectors prize silver halves struck before 1965._

## Adjective

2. Amounting to one of two equal parts; equal to ½ or 50% of the whole.
   - Simple: Making up one of two equal parts, or equal to fifty percent of something.
   - _He worked a half day on Friday and left at noon._
   - _The recipe needs a half teaspoon of salt._
5. Amounting to only a partial or incomplete portion; partial or imperfect.
   - Simple: Being only part of something, not full or complete.
   - _His half apology satisfied no one at the meeting._
   - _The plan was based on half truths and rough guesses._
8. Related through only one shared parent, or one shared ancestor, rather than two.
   - Simple: Related by sharing only one parent or grandparent, not both, as in a half sister.
   - _His half brother grew up in a different household._
   - _The two are half siblings, sharing only their mother._

## Adverb

4. To the extent of one half, or roughly one half.
   - Simple: By one half, or about one half, as in half full or half Korean.
   - _Her mother is Korean and her father is Mexican, so she is half Korean._
   - _The friends divided the winnings half and half._
6. Partially or incompletely; only to a limited extent.
   - Simple: Only partly, not completely.
   - _The repairs were left half done through the winter._
   - _He listened only half attentively to the long speech._
10. To an extent close to complete; almost or nearly.
   - Simple: Almost, or very nearly.
   - _After the long hike in the desert, we were half dead from heat and thirst._
   - _The kitten was half starved when we found it under the porch, but it soon grew strong._

## Preposition

11. Thirty minutes past the stated hour, used in telling the time. *(Ireland, UK)*
   - Simple: Thirty minutes after the hour, used when saying the time.
   - _The shop opens at half nine on weekdays._
   - _He said he'd call back at half three._

## Noun

15. A reduced-fare ticket for a child, as sold on trains and buses. *(dated, UK)*
   - Simple: A cheaper train or bus ticket for a child.
   - _He bought a half for his daughter and a full fare for himself._
   - _At the ticket office, Dad asked for one adult and two halves, one for me and one for my sister._

## Verb

16. To divide something into two equal parts. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To cut or split something into two equal parts.

## Other meanings

- (preposition) Thirty minutes before the named hour, as some other languages tell the time (German halb sieben is 6:30); in English it appears almost only when describing such usage.
- (interjection) A call telling performers that thirty minutes remain before the show begins.
- (noun) A barrel measure of twenty-seven gallons, equal to half a hogshead.
- (noun) Any of the three terms making up the school year at Eton College: Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.

## Origin

From Middle English 'half', from Old English 'healf' ('half', 'side', 'part'), from Proto-West Germanic *halb and Proto-Germanic *halbaz. It is related to Dutch 'half', German 'halb', and Swedish 'halv'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/half (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).