halfpenny , ha'penny (for sense 1)
n
1 pl , -pennies (Also called)
half a small British coin worth half a new penny, withdrawn from circulation in 1985
2 pl , -pennies an old British coin worth half an old penny
3 pl , -pence the sum represented by half a penny
4 pl , -pence something of negligible value
5 modifier having the value or price of a halfpenny
6 modifier of negligible value
better half
n
Humorous one's spouse
centre half , centre back
n (Soccer) a defender who plays in the middle of the defence
fly half
n (Rugby) another name for →
stand-off half
half
n pl , halves
a either of two equal or corresponding parts that together comprise a whole
b a quantity equalling such a part
half a dozen
2 half a pint, esp. of beer
3 (Scot) a small drink of spirits, esp. whisky
4 (Football, hockey, etc.) the half of the pitch regarded as belonging to one team
5 (Golf) an equal score on a hole or round with an opponent
6 (in various games) either of two periods of play separated by an interval (the first half and second half)
7 a half-price ticket on a bus, train, etc.
9 short for →
halfpenny →
1
10 (Sport) short for →
halfback
11 Obsolete a half-year period
12 ♦
better half
Humorous a person's wife or husband
13 ♦
by half by an excessive amount or to an excessive degree
he's too arrogant by half
14 ♦
by halves used with a negative without being thorough or exhaustive
we don't do things by halves
15 ♦
go halves often foll by: on, in, etc.
a to share the expenses (of something with one other person)
b to share the whole amount (of something with another person)
to go halves on an orange
determiner
a being a half or approximately a half
half the kingdom
b (as pronoun; functioning as sing or pl)
half of them came
adj
17 not perfect or complete; partial
he only did a half job on it
adv
18 to the amount or extent of a half
19 to a great amount or extent
20 partially; to an extent
21 ♦
half two, etc.
Informal 30 minutes after two o'clock
22 ♦
have half a mind to to have the intention of
a not in any way
he's not half clever enough
b (Brit) really; very; indeed
he isn't half stupid
c certainly; yes, indeed, (Related prefixes)
→
bi- →
demi- →
hemi- →
semi-
(Old English healf; related to Old Norse halfr, Old High German halb, Dutch half)
half-a-crown
n another name for a →
half-crown
half-a-dollar
n (Brit)
slang another name for a →
half-crown
half-and-half
n
1 a mixture of half one thing and half another thing
2 a drink consisting of equal parts of beer and stout, or equal parts of bitter and mild
adj
3 of half one thing and half another thing
adv
half-assed
adj (U.S. and Canadian)
slang
2 lacking efficiency or organization
half-baked
adj
2 Informal foolish; stupid
3 Informal poorly planned or conceived
half-ball
n
a a contact in billiards, etc., in which the player aims through the centre of the cue ball to the edge of the object ball, so that half the object ball is covered
b (as modifier)
a half-ball stroke
half-binding
n a type of hardback bookbinding in which the spine and corners are bound in one material, such as leather, and the sides in another, such as cloth
half-blood
n
a the relationship between individuals having only one parent in common
b an individual having such a relationship
2 a less common name for a →
half-breed
3 a half-blooded domestic animal
half-blooded
adj
1 being related to another individual through only one parent
2 having parents of different races
3 (of a domestic animal) having only one parent of known pedigree
half-blue
n (at Oxford and Cambridge universities) a sportsman who substitutes for a full blue or who represents the university in a minor sport
Compare →
blue →
4
half board
n
a the daily provision by a hotel of bed, breakfast, and one main meal
b (as modifier)
half-board accommodation (Also called)
demi-pension
half-board
n a manoeuvre by a sailing ship enabling it to gain distance to windward by luffing up into the wind
half-boot
n a boot reaching to the midcalf
half-bound
adj (of a book) having a half-binding
half-breed
n
1 Often offensive a person whose parents are of different races, esp. the offspring of a White person and an American Indian
adj (also)
♦
half-bred
2 of, relating to, or designating offspring of people or animals of different races or breeds
half-brother
n the son of either of one's parents by another partner
half-butt
n a snooker cue longer than an ordinary cue
half-caste
n
1 a person having parents of different races, esp. the offspring of a European and an Indian
adj
2 of, relating to, or designating such a person
half-cock
n
1 on a single-action firearm, a halfway position in which the hammer can be set for safety; in this position the trigger is cocked by the hammer which cannot reach the primer to fire the weapon
2 ♦
go off at half-cock or half-cocked
a to fail as a result of inadequate preparation or premature starting
b to act or function prematurely
half-cocked
adj (of a firearm) at half-cock
half-crown
n a British silver or cupronickel coin worth two shillings and sixpence (now equivalent to 12½p), taken out of circulation in 1970, (Also called)
half-a-crown
half-day
n a day when one works only in the morning or only in the afternoon
half-dead
adj (Brit)
informal very tired
half-dollar
n (in the U.S.) a 50-cent piece
half eagle
n a former U.S. gold coin worth five dollars
half-forward
n (Australian Rules football) any of three forwards positioned between the centre line and the forward line
half frame
n
a a photograph taking up half the normal area of a frame on a particular film, taken esp. on 35-millimetre film
b (as modifier)
a half-frame camera
half gainer
n a type of dive in which the diver completes a half backward somersault to enter the water headfirst facing the diving board
Compare →
gainer
half-hardy
adj (of a cultivated plant) able to survive out of doors except during severe frost
half-hearted
adj without enthusiasm or determination
♦
half-heartedly adv
♦
half-heartedness n
half-hitch
n a knot made by passing the end of a piece of rope around itself and through the loop thus made
half holiday
n a day of which either the morning or the afternoon is a holiday
half-hour
n
b (as modifier)
a half-hour stint
a the point of time 30 minutes after the beginning of an hour
b (as modifier)
a half-hour chime
♦
half-hourly adv, adj
half-hunter
n a watch with a hinged lid in which a small circular opening or crystal allows the approximate time to be read
See →
hunter →
5
half-inch
n
1 a measure of length approximately equivalent to 13 millimetres
vb
2 Slang, old-fashioned to steal
(sense 2: from rhyming slang for pinch)
half-jack
n (S. African)
informal a flat pocket-sized bottle of alcohol
(C20 jack, probably from C16 jack a leather-covered vessel, from Old French jaque, of uncertain origin)
half landing
n a landing halfway up a flight of stairs
half-leather
n a type of half-binding in which the backs and corners of a book are bound in leather
half-length
adj
1 (of a portrait) showing only the body from the waist up and including the hands
2 of half the entire or original length
n
half-life
n
1 the time taken for half of the atoms in a radioactive material to undergo decay., (Symbol)
<Gtau>
2 the time required for half of a quantity of radioactive material absorbed by a living tissue or organism to be naturally eliminated (biological half-life) or removed by both elimination and decay (effective half-life)
half-light
n a dim light, as at dawn or dusk
half-marathon
n a race on foot of 13 miles 352 yards (21.243 kilometres)
half-mast
n
1 the lower than normal position to which a flag is lowered on a mast as a sign of mourning or distress
vb
2 tr to put (a flag) in this position
half measure
n often pl an inadequate measure
half-miler
n a runner who specializes in running races over half a mile
half-moon
n
1 the moon at first or last quarter when half its face is illuminated
2 the time at which a half-moon occurs
a something shaped like a half-moon
b (as modifier)
half-moon spectacles
4 (Anatomy) a nontechnical name for →
lunula
half-mourning
n dark grey clothes worn by some during a period after full formal mourning
half-nelson
n a wrestling hold in which a wrestler places an arm under one of his opponent's arms from behind and exerts pressure with his palm on the back of his opponent's neck
Compare →
full nelson
half-note
n the usual U.S. and Canadian name for →
minim →
2
half-open
adj (Chess) (of a file) having a pawn or pawns of only one colour on it
half-p
n pl , -ps an informal name for a →
halfpenny →
1
half-pedalling
n a technique of piano playing in which the sustaining pedal is raised and immediately depressed thus allowing the lower strings to continue sounding
half-pie
adj the N.Z. term for →
half-baked →
3
(from Maori pai good)
half-plate
n (Photog) a size of plate measuring 6½x4¼ inches
half-price
adj
adv for half the normal price
children go half-price
half-quartern
n (Brit) a loaf having a weight, when baked, of 800 g
half-rhyme
n a rhyme in which the vowel sounds are not identical, such as years and yours
See →
consonance →
2
half-round chisel
n a cold chisel with a semicircular cutting edge used for making narrow channels
half-round file
n (Engineering) a file having a semicircular cross-section
half seas over
adj (Brit)
informal drunk
half-section
n (Engineering) a scale drawing of a section through a symmetrical object that shows only half the object
half-silvered
adj (of a mirror) having an incomplete reflective coating, so that half the incident light is reflected and half transmitted: used in optical instruments and two-way mirrors
half-sister
n the daughter of either of one's parents by another partner
half-size
n any size, esp. in clothing, that is halfway between two sizes
half-slip
n a woman's topless slip that hangs from the waist, (Also called)
waist-slip
half-sole
n
1 a sole from the shank of a shoe to the toe
vb
2 tr to replace the half-sole of (a shoe)
half-step
n (Music) (U.S. and Canadian) another word for →
semitone
half term
n (Brit. education)
a a short holiday midway through an academic term
b (as modifier)
a half-term holiday
half-tide
n the state of the tide between flood and ebb
half-timbered , half-timber
adj (of a building, wall, etc.) having an exposed timber framework filled with brick, stone, or plastered laths, as in Tudor architecture
♦
half-timbering n
half-time
n (Sport)
a a rest period between the two halves of a game
b (as modifier)
the half-time score
half-title
n
1 the short title of a book as printed on the right-hand page preceding the title page
2 a title on a separate page preceding a section of a book
half-track
n a vehicle with caterpillar tracks on the wheels that supply motive power only
♦
half-tracked adj
half-truth
n a partially true statement intended to mislead
♦
half-true adj
half volley (Sport)
n
1 a stroke or shot in which the ball is hit immediately after it bounces
vb
♦
half-volley
2 to hit or kick (a ball) immediately after it bounces
scrum half
n (Rugby)
1 a player who puts in the ball at scrums and tries to get it away to his three-quarter backs
2 this position in a team
stand-off half
n (Rugby)
1 a player who acts as a link between his scrum half and three-quarter backs
2 this position in a team, (Also called)
fly half
time and a half
n the rate of pay equalling one and a half times the normal rate, often offered for overtime work
Two-and-a-half International
n another name for the →
Vienna Union