half (halves plural )
1 fraction Halfof an amount or object is one of two equal parts that together make up the whole number, amount, or object.
They need an extra two and a half thousand pounds to complete the project..., More than half of all households report incomes above £35,000..., Cut the tomatoes in half vertically...
Half is also a predeterminer., predet
We just sat and talked for half an hour or so..., They had only received half the money promised...
Half is also an adjective., adj ADJ n
...a half measure of fresh lemon juice..., Steve barely said a handful of words during the first half hour.
2 adv You use half to say that something is only partly the case or happens to only a limited extent.
ADV adj, ADV before v
His eyes were half closed..., His refrigerator frequently looked half empty..., She'd half expected him to withdraw from the course.
3 n-count In games such as football, rugby, and basketball, matches are divided into two equal periods of time which are called halves.
usu ord N
The only goal was scored by Jakobsen early in the second half.
4 n-count A half is a half-price bus or train ticket for a child.
(BRIT)
5 adv You use half to say that someone has parents of different nationalities. For example, if you are half German, one of your parents is German but the other is not.
ADV adj
She was half Italian and half English.
6 prep-phrase You use half past to refer to a time that is thirty minutes after a particular hour.
usu PREP num
`What time were you planning lunch?'—`Half past twelve, if that's convenient.'...
7 prep Half means the same as half past.
(BRIT)
INFORMAL PREP num
They are supposed to be here at about half four.
8 adv You can use half before an adjective describing an extreme quality, as a way of emphasizing and exaggerating something.
INFORMAL ADV adj (emphasis)
He felt half dead with tiredness...
Half can also be used in this way with a noun referring to a long period of time or a large quantity., predet
I thought about you half the night..., He wouldn't know what he was saying half the time...
9 adv Half is sometimes used in negative statements, with a positive meaning, to emphasize a particular fact or quality. For example, if you say `he isn't half lucky', you mean that he is very lucky.
(BRIT)
INFORMAL with neg, usu ADV before v, ADV adj/adv, ADV n, also ADV as reply (emphasis)
You don't half sound confident..., `There'd been a tremendous amount of poverty around and presumably this made some impact then.'—`Oh not half.'
10 adv You use not half or not half as to show that you do not think something is as good or impressive as it is meant to be.
with neg, ADV n, ADV as/so adj (emphasis)
You're not half the man you think you are...
11 When you use an expression such as a problem and a half or a meal and a half, you are emphasizing that your reaction to it is either very favourable or very unfavourable.
and a half phrase usu v-link PHR (emphasis)
It becomes clear that Montgomerie has a job and half on his hands.
12 If you say that someone never does things by halves, you mean that they always do things very thoroughly.
never do things by halves phrase with brd-neg, V inflects
In Italy they rarely do things by halves. Designers work thoroughly, producing the world's most wearable clothes in the most beautiful fabrics.
13 If two people go halves, they divide the cost of something equally between them.
go halves phrase V inflects, oft PHR on n
He's constantly on the phone to his girlfriend. We have to go halves on the phone bill which drives me mad.
14 →
half the battle →
battle
half-baked
If you describe an idea or plan as half-baked, you mean that it has not been properly thought out, and so is stupid or impractical. adj usu ADJ n (disapproval)
This is another half-baked scheme that isn't going to work...
half board
If you stay at a hotel and have half board, your breakfast and evening meal are included in the price of your stay at the hotel, but not your lunch.
(mainly BRIT) n-uncount
half-brother (half-brothers plural )Someone's half-brother is a boy or man who has either the same mother or the same father as they have. n-count
half-caste (half-castes plural )Someone who is half-caste has parents who come from different races.
(mainly BRIT)
OFFENSIVE adj
half-day (half-days plural ), half day A half-day is a day when you work only in the morning or in the afternoon, but not all day. n-count
half-hearted
If someone does something in a half-hearted way, they do it without any real effort, interest, or enthusiasm. adj
Joanna had made one or two half-hearted attempts to befriend Graham's young wife.
half-heartedly adv ADV with v
I can't do anything half-heartedly. I have to do everything 100 per cent.
half-life (half-lives plural ), half life The half-life of a radioactive substance is the amount of time that it takes to lose half its radioactivity. n-count
half-mast
If a flag is flying at half-mast, it is flying from the middle of the pole, not the top, to show respect and sorrow for someone who has just died. phrase usu PHR after v
half measure (half measures plural ), half-measure If someone refers to policies or actions as half measures, they are critical of them because they think that they are not forceful enough and are therefore of little value. n-count usu pl (disapproval)
They have already declared their intention to fight on rather than settle for half-measures.
half note (half notes plural )A half note is a musical note that has a time value equal to two quarter notes.
(AM) n-count
in BRIT, use minim
half-price
1 adj If something is half-price, it costs only half what it usually costs.
v-link ADJ, ADJ n, ADJ after v
Main courses are half price from 12.30pm to 2pm..., Mind you, a half-price suit still cost $400..., We can get in half-price.
2 n-uncount If something is sold at or forhalf-price, it is sold for only half of what it usually costs.
usu at/for N
By yesterday she was selling off stock at half price..., They normally charge three hundred pounds but we got it for half price.
half-sister (half-sisters plural )Someone's half-sister is a girl or woman who has either the same mother or the same father as they have. n-count oft poss N
half-term (half-terms plural ), half term Half-term is a short holiday in the middle of a school term.
(BRIT) n-var oft at N
There was no play school at half term, so I took them both to the cinema., ...the half-term holidays.
half-timbered
Half-timbered is used to describe old buildings that have wooden beams showing in the brick and plaster walls, both on the inside and the outside of the building. adj
half-time
Half-time is the short period of time between the two parts of a sporting event such as a football, rugby, or basketball game, when the players have a short rest. n-uncount
half-truth (half-truths plural ), half truth If you describe statements as half-truths, you mean that they are only partly based on fact and are intended or likely to deceive people. n-count
The article had been full of errors and half truths.
half-witted
If you describe someone as half-witted, you think they are very stupid, silly, or irresponsible.
INFORMAL adj
(disapproval)
half-yearly
in AM, use semiannual
1 adj Half-yearly means happening in the middle of a calendar year or a financial year.
(BRIT) ADJ n
...the Central Bank's half-yearly report on the state of the economy.
2 adj A company's half-yearly profits are the profits that it makes in six months.
(BRIT) ADJ n
The company announced a half-yearly profit of just £2 million.
3 adj Half-yearly means happening twice a year, with six months between each event.
(BRIT) usu ADJ n
...half-yearly payments.
