Etimology
From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
noun
half (plural halves)
One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
(sports) One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
(preceded by “a” or a number) The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
(slang) A half sibling.
(UK, dated) A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
(sports) abbreviated form for half marathon.
(numismatic slang) Clipping of half-dollar.
Examples
I ate the slightly 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.
Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
I and he, / Brothers in Art; a friendship so complete / Portion'd in halves between us, […]
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.
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."
Barrels came in firkins, nine gallons; kilderkins, eighteen gallons; halves, twenty-seven gallons; barrels, thirty-six gallons and hogsheads, fifty-four.
Synonym: ½
Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.
So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father.
Tonight, we're offering the last of the Walking Liberty Halves for awhile:[sic]
adjective
half (not comparable)
Consisting of a half (½, 50%).
Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
(of a sibling) Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
(of a relative other than a sibling) Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
Examples
Synonyms: semi-, hemi-, demi-
a half kilo
a half hour
a half dollar
a half truth
Assumed from thence a half-consent.
A half brother or half sister
A half uncle or half aunt or half cousin
adverb
half (not comparable)
In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
In some part approximating a half.
Partially; imperfectly.
Practically, nearly.
Examples
half-colored
half done
half persuaded
half conscious
He does sometimes half wish to change his life, but it is too difficult.
Half loth and half consenting.
Their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod.
I sometimes hold it half a sinTo put in words the grief I feel;For words, like Nature, half revealAnd half conceal the Soul within.
To be a King, is halfe to bee a God.
Related words
synonyms
(partially; imperfectly): halfly (obsolete)
verb
half (third-person singular simple present halves, present participle halving, simple past and past participle halved)
(transitive, obsolete) To halve.
Examples
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bisect
preposition
half
(UK, Ireland) Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.
(Discuss(+) this sense) (rare, see usage notes) A half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.
Examples
Synonym: half past
The time is 9:30; it is half nine.
In some countries, "half seven" means 6:30.
interjection
half
(theater) A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.