Half (?), a. [AS. healf, half, half; as a noun, half, side, part; akin to OS., OFries., & D. half, G. halb, Sw. half, Dan. halv, Icel. halfr, Goth. halbs. Cf. [Halve], [Behalf].]

1.

Consisting of a moiety, or half; as, a half bushel; a half hour; a half dollar; a half view.

⇒ The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound.

2.

Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect; as, a half dream; half knowledge.

Assumed from thence a half consent. Tennyson.

[Half ape] [Zoology|Zool.], a lemur. -- [Half back]. Football See under 2d [Back]. -- [Half bent], the first notch, for the sear point to enter, in the tumbler of a gunlock; the halfcock notch. -- [Half binding], a style of bookbinding in which only the back and corners are in leather. -- [Half boarder], one who boards in part; specifically, a scholar at a boarding school who takes dinner only. -- [Half-breadth plan] Shipbuilding, a horizontal plan of the half a vessel, divided lengthwise, showing the lines. -- [Half cadence] [Music|Mus.], a cadence on the dominant. -- [Half cap], a slight salute with the cap. [Obs.] Shak. -- [A half cock], the position of the cock of a gun when retained by the first notch.<-- half cocked: see below, halfcocked: = unprepared, lacking forethought; -- as in go off half cocked --> -- [Half hitch], a sailor's knot in a rope; half of a clove hitch. -- [Half hose], short stockings; socks. -- [Half measure], an imperfect or weak line of action. -- [Half note] [Music|Mus.], a minim, one half of a semibreve. -- [Half pay], half of the wages or salary; reduced pay; as, an officer on half pay. -- [Half price], half the ordinary price; or a price much reduced. -- [Half round]. (a) [Architecture|Arch.] A molding of semicircular section. (b) [Mechanic|Mech.] Having one side flat and the other rounded; -- said of a file. -- [Half shift] [Music|Mus.], a position of the hand, between the open position and the first shift, in playing on the violin and kindred instruments. See [Shift]. -- [Half step] [Music|Mus.], a semitone; the smallest difference of pitch or interval, used in music. -- [Half tide], the time or state of the tide equally distant from ebb and flood. -- [Half time], half the ordinary time for work or attendance; as, the half-time system. -- [Half tint] Fine Arts, a middle or intermediate tint, as in drawing or painting. See [Demitint]. -- [Half truth], a statement only partially true, or which gives only a part of the truth. Mrs. Browning. -- [Half year], the space of six moths; one term of a school when there are two terms in a year.

© [Webster 1913].

Half, adv.

In an equal part or degree; in some pa appromating a half; partially; imperfectly; as, half-colored, half done, half-hearted, half persuaded, half conscious.

"Half loth and half consenting."

Dryden.

Their children spoke halfin the speech of Ashdod. Neh. xiii. 24

© [Webster 1913].

Half (?), n.; pl. Halves (#). [AS. healf. See [Half], a.]

1.

Part; side; behalf.

[Obs.]

Wyclif.

The four halves of the house. Chaucer.

2.

One of two equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided; -- sometimes followed by of; as, a half of an apple.

Not half his riches known, and yet despised. Milton.

A friendship so complete Portioned in halves between us. Tennyson.

[Better half]. See under [Better]. -- [In half], in two; an expression sometimes used improperly instead of in ∨ into halves; as, to cut in half. [Colloq.] Dickens. -- [In, ∨ On], [one's half], in one's behalf; on one's part. [Obs.] -- [To cry halves], to claim an equal share with another. -- [To go halves], to share equally between two.

© [Webster 1913].

Half, v. t.

To halve. [Obs.] See [Halve].

Sir H. Wotton.

© [Webster 1913].

Half (definition)