half

noun

1. 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.”

   “Of the passengers on the plane, half were English.”

   “The cake was delicious: half was vanilla and half was chocolate.”

   “Half (of) my friends live abroad.”

2. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.

   “An association football match usually consists of two halves of 45 minutes each.”

3. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.

   “However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.”

4. (British)Half of a standard measure, chiefly:

   “He came back with a pint of Guinness for me and a half of bitter for Wendy.”

   “I accepted a half of bitter from him.”

   “I went to the bar where I bought a pint and two large brandies. ... "Not brandy," she replied, "but I could use a long drink - maybe a half of lager."”

5. Half of a standard measure, chiefly:

   “Barrels came in firkins, nine gallons; kilderkins, eighteen gallons; halves, twenty-seven gallons; barrels, thirty-six gallons and hogsheads, fifty-four.”

6. The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.

   “Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.”

7. Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
8. (slang)A half sibling.

   “So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father.”

9. (UK, dated)A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
10. abbreviated form for half marathon.
11. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping)Clipping of half-dollar.

    “Tonight, we're offering the last of the Walking Liberty Halves for awhile:^([sic])”

adj

1. (not-comparable)Consisting of a half (½, 50%).

   “a half kilo”

   “a half hour”

   “a half dollar”

   “China's population density used to be half that of Britain.”

2. (not-comparable)Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.

   “a half truth”

   “Assumed from thence a half-consent.”

3. (not-comparable)Having one parent (rather than two) in common.

   “A half brother or half sister”

4. (not-comparable)Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.

   “A half uncle or half aunt or half cousin”

adv

1. (not-comparable)In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
2. (not-comparable)In some part approximating a half.
3. (not-comparable)Partially; imperfectly.

   “half-colored”

   “The task is only half done.”

   “I was half persuaded by your convincing argument.”

   “The patient was half conscious and muttering a few words.”

   “He does sometimes half wish to change his life, but it is too difficult.”

4. (not-comparable)Practically, nearly.

   “To be a King, is halfe to bee a God.”

verb

1. (transitive)To halve.

prep

1. (Ireland, UK)Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.

   “The time is 9:30; it is half nine.”

2. (rare)A half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.

   “In some countries, "half seven" means 6:30.”

intj

1. A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.