half
/ˈhæf/ noun A1- One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided. · I ate the smaller half of the apple.· You don’t know the half of it.
- One of two equal periods into which a game is divided. · An association football match usually consists of two halves of 45 minutes each.
- One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
- A barrel measure of 27 gallons (half a hogshead).
- The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2. · Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.
- Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
- A half sibling.
- abbreviated form for half marathon.
Plural halves
From the library
Still, marquise, it has been so with other usurpers—Cromwell, for instance, who was not half so bad as Napoleon, had his partisans and advocates.”
“I was passing close to the door of the captain’s cabin, which was half open, and I saw him give the packet and letter to Dantès.”
Scarcely was the captain’s breath out of his body when he assumed the command without consulting anyone, and he caused us to lose a day and a half at the Island of Elba, instead of making for Marseilles direct.”
“As to taking command of the vessel,” replied Morrel, “that was his duty as captain’s mate; as to losing a day and a half off the Island of Elba, he was wrong, unless the vessel needed repairs.”
Other matches
Learn half in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.