Noun She broke each cookie into halves. “Which half do you want?” “I'll take the smaller half.” Two halves make a whole. The team fell behind in the first half but rallied in the second half to win the game. “What's yours?” “A half of lager, please.” Adjective a half cup of coffee He owns a half share in the company. a half pound of cheese She looked at him with a shy half smile. Adverb The glass of water is half full. The crowd was half cheering and half jeering. The train departed at half past the hour. He was only half aware of what was happening. She had half persuaded me to stay. The door was half open. These eggs are only half cooked. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This year, three-quarters of its viewers are 55 and older, according to Nielsen, compared with a little over half back in 2013. David Marcelis, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Bryant tossed his third touchdown of the half to wide receiver Tyler Scott. Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2022 Bigsby also had a 19-yard rush and got the drive rolling with a 16-yard run on the first play of the half.al, 10 Sep. 2022 In the nine-and-a-half minute speech, the king paid tribute to the queen and renewed her promise of lifelong service. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2022 Second half will be a hybrid event, with in-person and online screenings, organizers say. Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 Russian prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Brittney Griner to more than nine-and-a-half years in prison as the WNBA star's drug possession trial in a Russian court wraps up. Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2022 Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence her to nine-and-a-half years in prison. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 4 Aug. 2022 Tonight the Moon reaches First Quarter, when its Earth-facing half is 50% illuminated. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 3 July 2022
Adjective
Prime Video released a nearly two-and-a-half-minute teaser trailer in July, two weeks before San Diego Comic-Con. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2022 After keeping the press corps and the public waiting for almost 40 minutes, Garland delivered a three-and-a-half-minute speech laden with sanctimonious boilerplate and then headed for the exit without taking questions. John Yoo, National Review, 13 Aug. 2022 Near the end of the three-and-a-half-minute clip, the deputies successfully take the senior to safety. Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022 It’s a 1-and-a-half-minute preview of what looks to be nothing short of a spine-chilling Netflix production tracking a serial killer that arrives on the streaming platform on Wednesday, July 20. Andy Meek, BGR, 19 July 2022 There's a lot packed into the two-and-a-half-minute trailer (above), including a few faces both familiar and new. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 14 July 2022 In the days after the flood, Fugate and his wife took pictures of the retaining wall of a pond about a half-mile up the creek from their house. Phil Mccausland, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2022 The unidentified man from Houston was found just before 8 p.m. on the Chimneys Trail, about a half-mile from the trail head. Taylor Pettaway, San Antonio Express-News, 22 July 2022 The wreck site is about a half-mile south of the street's intersection with Asher Avenue and Colonel Glenn Road. Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 7 July 2022
Adverb
If all of Lake Powell’s water were moved to Lake Mead today, the latter reservoir that supplies Las Vegas and generates more power than the Glen Canyon Dam, would still only be half full. Zak Podmore, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2022 Portland’s four cooling shelters were slightly over half-full overnight Tuesday, and the county expects demand to increase as the heat wave continues.oregonlive, 27 July 2022 The glass is half-full in the Emmy diversity landscape. Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 July 2022 Give President Joe Biden credit for his ability to see the glass as half-full. James Freeman, WSJ, 13 July 2022 Inside her 2016 Ford Fiesta police found a fifth of Hennessy cognac that was that was half-empty, along with an empty bottle of Voodoo Ranger IPA. Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 12 Aug. 2022 Angel City-Tigres exhibition at a half-empty Banc of California Stadium — a game that ended in a 1-0 Angel City win — a showcase of competing styles. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 Carmy’s desk is littered with unpaid invoices and notices, the detritus of a floundering business — as well as half-empty bottles of Fernet-Branca and Pepto-Bismol, both common food-world swigs. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 6 July 2022 The backpack, which was identified as belonging to Phillips, was found tied to a tree that was half-submerged, a firefighter told reporters in Atalaia do Norte. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 13 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun, Adjective, and Adverb
Middle English, from Old English healf; akin to Old High German halb half
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a