half

half

US /hæf/ 
UK /hɑːf/ 

30 minutes after the hour mentioned

Persian equivalent: 
Example: 

I got home at about half past one.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

half

 adverb
50%; not completely:
The bottle is half empty.
He's half German (= one of his parents is German).

half past 30 minutes after an hour on the clock:
It's half past nine.

 noun, adjective, pronoun (plural halves )

pronunciation
The word half sounds like staff, because we don't say the letter l in this word.

one of two equal parts of something; ½:
Half of six is three.
I lived in that flat for two and a half years.
The journey takes an hour and a half.
I've been waiting more than half an hour.
She gave me half of her apple.
Half this money is yours.

in half so that there are two equal parts:
Cut the cake in half.
The verb is halve.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

half

I. half1 S1 W1 /hɑːf $ hæf/ BrE AmE predeterminer, pronoun, adjective [only before noun]
1. 50% exactly or about 50% (½) of an amount, time, distance, number etc
half of
Over half of the children live in one-parent families.
Only half the guests had arrived by seven o'clock.
If you look at our members, at least half are women.
half a mile/pound/hour etc
half a pound of butter
It’s about half a mile down the road.
She drank half a bottle of wine.
half a million dollars
a half hour/mile etc
You can’t just waltz in a half hour late.
It’s about a half mile down the road.
a half day excursion to the island
He demanded a half share of the money.
half the price/size/length etc
It’s only half the size of a normal violin.
They offered to pay half the cost of repairs.
2. MOST OF the largest part of something
half of
We missed half of what he said because someone was talking.
She seems to be asleep half the time.
Getting covered in mud is half the fun.
3. TIME half past one/two/three etc especially British English (also half one/two/three etc British English spoken) 30 minutes after the hour mentioned:
I got home at about half past one.
I rang at about half six.
We’ll be there by seven or half past (=half past seven).
4. half a dozen
a) six:
half a dozen eggs
b) a small number of people or things:
There were half a dozen other people in front of me.
5. half a/the chance a small opportunity to do something, especially one which someone would take eagerly:
I’d go to university if I got half the chance.
Many kids would sleep till noon given half a chance.
6. half an eye/ear if you have half an eye on something, or if you are listening with half an ear, you are giving only part of your attention to it:
He listened with only half an ear and his thoughts wandered.
The teacher kept half an eye on them all through the lesson.
7. be half the battle spoken used to say that when you have done the most difficult part of an activity, the rest is easy:
Getting the audience to like you is half the battle.
8. half a minute/moment/second etc spoken a very short time:
Hold on, this will only take half a second.
9. only half the story an explanation that is not complete, used especially to say that someone is trying to keep something secret:
Journalists are convinced that she was only telling them half the story.
10. have half a mind to do something spoken used to say that you would like to do something but you probably will not do it:
He had half a mind to ask for his money back.
I have half a mind to tell your mother about this.
11. half measures actions or methods that are not strong enough, and so are not effective in dealing with a difficult problem:
This is no time for half measures.
12. half a loaf (is better than none) something that is less than what you wanted or asked for, but that you might accept because it is better than nothing
• • •
GRAMMAR
Use a plural verb after half (of) if you are referring to a number of people or things:
▪ Barely half the citizens bother to vote. Use a singular verb if you are referring to an amount or thing:
▪ Half the food was wasted.
▪ Over half of Britain’s ancient woodland has been destroyed.

► You do not usually say 'the half':
▪ I’ve only read half of the story (NOT the half of the story). The only time you say 'the half' is when you are referring to a particular half:
▪ the first half of the book

► Do not say 'half of hour'. Say half an hour or, especially in spoken American English, a half hour.

► Do not say 'one and half', 'two and half' etc. Say one and a half, two and a half etc:
▪ She is two and a half years old. These phrases are followed by a plural noun, not a singular noun:
▪ one and a half days (NOT one and a half day)
II. half2 S1 W2 BrE AmE noun (plural halves /hɑːvz $ hævz/) [countable]
1. 50% one of two equal parts of something:
Two halves make a whole.
one/two etc and a half (=1½, 2½ etc)
My son’s three and a half now.
an hour and a half later
two and a half thousand people
first/second/other half (of something)
in the first half of the 19th century
He kept the other half of the cake for himself.
top/bottom/northern etc half (of something)
A veil covered the lower half of her face.
the southern half of the country
break/cut/tear etc something in half (=into two equal parts)
She tore the piece of paper in half.
reduce/cut something by half (=make something 50% smaller)
a plan to cut European forces by half
2. SPORT one of the two parts into which a sports event is divided
first/second half
France played very well in the first half.
3. PLAYER a player who plays in the middle part of the field in sports like football, ↑rugby etc:
the 23-year-old Newcastle centre half
4. BEER British English a half of a ↑pint of beer
half of
Can I have a half of lager, please?
5. TICKET British English a child’s ticket, for example on a bus or train, that is cheaper than an adult’s ticket:
One and a half to Waterloo, please.
6. a ... and a half informal used when you think that something is very unusual or surprising, or very good:
That was a meal and a half!
7. the half of it spoken used to emphasize that a situation is more difficult, complicated, or unpleasant than people realize:
Everyone knows she’s a difficult girl, but they don’t know the half of it.
8. your better half/other half old-fashioned used humorously to mean your husband or wife
9. not do something by halves to do something very eagerly and using a lot of care and effort:
I’m sure it will be a fantastic wedding. Eva never does anything by halves.
10. go halves (on something) to share something, especially the cost of something, equally between two people:
Do you want to go halves on a pizza?
11. too clever/rich/good etc by half British English informal very clever, rich etc in an annoying way:
That boy’s too arrogant by half.
12. how the other half lives how people who are much richer or much poorer than you manage their lives, work, money etc
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
break/cut/tear something in half (=into two equal pieces) He tore the paper in half.
divide/split something in half Divide the dough in half.
reduce/cut something by half (=make something 50% smaller or 50% less) The company has reduced the number of staff by half.
decrease/fall by half (=become 50% less) Share prices fell by half.
increase/rise by half (=become 50% more) The number of passengers using the service has increased by half.
■ adjectives
the top/bottom half He graduated in the top half of his law school class.
the upper/lower half The upper half of the door contained a stained glass window.
the northern/southern half The northern half of the city is generally poorer.
the first/second half Profits doubled in the first half of the year.
the other half Half the patients were given the drug and the other half were given a sugar pill.
the last/latter half He struggled with ill health in the latter half of his life.
■ phrases
one/two etc and a half ‘How old is she?’ ‘Five and a half.’
III. half3 S2 BrE AmE adverb
1. partly, but not completely:
He was half in the water and half out.
She was standing there half dressed, putting on her make-up.
The door was only half closed.
The jug was still half full.
a half-empty wine bottle
I was only half awake.
He looked half asleep.
I was half expecting her to say ‘no’.
I half hoped that they wouldn’t come.
I said it half jokingly.
2. if something is half one thing and half something else, it is a combination of those two things:
He’s half English, half Swiss.
3. used to emphasize something bad, to say that it is almost an extremely bad thing:
The kitten looked half starved.
He was half dead with exhaustion.
I had been driven half out of my mind with worry.
4.
a) half as much/big etc half the size, amount etc of something else:
The new machine has all the same functions, but is only half as large.
b) half as much/big etc again larger by an amount that is equal to half the original size:
A flat in London costs almost half as much again as a flat in Glasgow.
5. not half as/so good/interesting etc (as somebody/something) much less good, less interesting etc than someone or something else:
The movie wasn’t half as entertaining as the book.
She can’t love you half as much as I do.
6. not half British English spoken used when you want to emphasize an opinion or statement:
She doesn’t half talk once she gets started.
7. not half bad spoken an expression meaning good, used especially when you are rather surprised that something is good:
Actually, the party wasn’t half bad.
8. half and half partly one thing and partly another:
The group was about half and half, complete beginners and people with some experience.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

half

half [half halves] noun, determiner, pronoun, adverb   [hɑːf]    [hæf] 

noun (pl. halves   [hɑːvz]  ;   [hævz]  )
1. either of two equal parts into which sth is or can be divided
two and a half kilos (2½)
One and a half hours are allowed for the exam.
An hour and a half is allowed for the exam.
The second half of the book is more exciting.
I've divided the money in half.
We'll need to reduce the weight by half.

see also  halve

2. either of two periods of time into which a sports game, concert, etc. is divided

• No goals were scored in the first half.

3. =  halfback 

see also  centre half, scrum half

4. (BrE, informal) half a pint of beer or a similar drink
Two halves of bitter, please.
more at have half a mind to do sth at  mind  n., it's six of one and half a dozen of the other at  six, time and a half at  time  n.  
Word Origin:
Old English half, healf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch half and German halb (adjectives). The earliest meaning of the Germanic base was ‘side’, also a noun sense in Old English.  
Grammar Point:
half / whole / quarter
Quarter, half and whole can all be nouns: Cut the apple into quarters. Two halves make a whole.
Whole is also an adjective: I’ve been waiting here for a whole hour.
Half is also a determiner: Half (of) the work is already finished. They spent half the time looking for a parking space. Her house is half a mile down the road. Note that you do not put a or the in front of half when it is used in this way: I waited for half an hour ◊ I waited for a half an hour.
Half can also be used as an adverb: This meal is only half cooked.  
Example Bank:
Costs rose by a half.
Cut the remaining half into large chunks.
He played well in the second half of the match.
Over a half of all accidents happen in the home.
Over a half of all the people interviewed said they were disappointed in the government.
She's four and a half years old now.
We divided the money in half.
We split the work half and half.
You'll have to ask my other half.
in the latter half of the 19th century
the first half of the concert
the left half of the brain
the lower half of the window
the northern half of the country
• the rear half of the car

Idioms: and a half  do not do anything by halves  go half and half  go halves  half a loaf is better than no bread  half a minute/second half as many/much again  half of it  half past one/two  how the other half lives  not half  not half as  not half bad  not half such a  too clever by half 

 

determiner, pronoun
1. an amount equal to half of sth/sb
half an hour
Half (of) the fruit was bad.
Half of the money was mine.
• He has a half share in the company.

• Out of 36 candidates, half passed.

2. ~ the time, fun, trouble, etc. the largest part of sth
Half the fun of gardening is never knowing exactly what's going to come up.
Half the time you don't even listen to what I say.  
Word Origin:
Old English half, healf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch half and German halb (adjectives). The earliest meaning of the Germanic base was ‘side’, also a noun sense in Old English.  
Grammar Point:
half / whole / quarter
Quarter, half and whole can all be nouns: Cut the apple into quarters. Two halves make a whole.
Whole is also an adjective: I’ve been waiting here for a whole hour.
Half is also a determiner: Half (of) the work is already finished. They spent half the time looking for a parking space. Her house is half a mile down the road. Note that you do not put a or the in front of half when it is used in this way: I waited for half an hour ◊ I waited for a half an hour.
Half can also be used as an adverb: This meal is only half cooked.  
Language Bank:
proportion
Describing fractions and proportions
According to this pie chart, a third of students' leisure time is spent watching TV.
One in five hours is/are spent socializing.
Socializing accounts for / makes up / comprises about 20% of leisure time.
Students spend twice as much time playing computer games as doing sport.
Three times as many hours are spent playing computer games as reading.
The figure for playing computer games is three times higher than the figure for reading.
The largest proportion of time is spent playing computer games.
note at half
Synonyms at consist

Language Banks at expect, fall, illustrate, increase 

 

adverb
1. to the extent of half

• The glass was half full.

2. partly
The chicken was only half cooked.
half-closed eyes
I'm half inclined to agree.  
Word Origin:
Old English half, healf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch half and German halb (adjectives). The earliest meaning of the Germanic base was ‘side’, also a noun sense in Old English.  
Example Bank:
His left eye was half closed.
I half expected them to follow us.
I was still half asleep.
She is half Italian.
The bottle was only half full.
• The child looked half starved.

• The result was not half as bad as expected.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

half

half /hɑːf/ US /hæf/
noun, pronoun, predeterminer, adjective, adverb
1 either of the two equal or nearly equal parts that together make up a whole:
"What's half of ninety-six?" "Forty-eight."
Roughly half (of) the class are Spanish and the others are a mixture of nationalities.
Cut the apple in half/into halves (= into two equal parts).
My little brother is half as tall as me/half my height.
half a dozen (= six) eggs
Half of me would just like to give it all up and travel around the world (= partly I would like to, but partly I would not).
She was born in the latter half of the eighteenth century.
The recipe tells you to use a pound and a half of butter.

2 INFORMAL a lot:
She invited a lot of people to the party but half of them didn't turn up.
I don't even know where she is half (of) the time.

3 only partly:
He answered the door half naked.
I was half expecting to see her at the party.
I'm half inclined to take the job just because it's in London.
He was being funny but I think he was half serious.
The bottle's half empty.

4 half past Half past a particular hour is 30 minutes later than that hour:
I'll meet you at half past nine (= 09.30 or 21.30).
UK INFORMAL I'll meet you at half seven (= half past seven).

half /hɑːf/ US /hæf/
noun [C] plural halves
1 UK INFORMAL half a pint of a drink, especially beer:
A pint of lager and two halves, please.

2 UK a ticket which is cheaper because it is for a child:
Two adults and three halves to Manchester, please.

3 first/second half either of two periods of time into which a game is divided

halve /hɑːv/ US /hæv/
verb
1 [T] to reduce something by half or divide something into two equal pieces:
In the past eight years, the elephant population in Africa has been halved.
The potatoes will cook more quickly if you halve them before you put them in the oven.

2 [I] If something halves, it is reduced by half:
Their profits have halved in the last six months.

halfback

halfback /ˈhɑːf.bæk/ US /ˈhæf-/
noun [C] (ALSO half)
(in football and other sports) a player who plays in the middle of the field, in front of the fullbacks and behind the forwards

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

half

/hɑ:f, AM hæf/
(halves /hɑ:vz, AM hævz/)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
Half of 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...
FRACTION

Half is also a predeterminer.
We just sat and talked for half an hour or so...
They had only received half the money promised...
PREDET

Half is also an adjective.
...a half measure of fresh lemon juice...
Steve barely said a handful of words during the first half hour.
ADJ: ADJ n

2.
You use half to say that something is only partly the case or happens to only a limited extent.
His eyes were half closed...
His refrigerator frequently looked half empty...
She’d half expected him to withdraw from the course.
ADV: ADV adj, ADV before v

3.
In games such as football, rugby, and basketball, matches are divided into two equal periods of time which are called halves.
The only goal was scored by Jakobsen early in the second half.
N-COUNT: usu ord N

4.
A half is a half-price bus or train ticket for a child. (BRIT)
N-COUNT

5.
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.
She was half Italian and half English.
ADV: ADV adj

6.
You use half past to refer to a time that is thirty minutes after a particular hour.
‘What time were you planning lunch?’—‘Half past twelve, if that’s convenient.’...
PREP-PHRASE: usu PREP num

7.
Half means the same as half past. (BRIT INFORMAL)
They are supposed to be here at about half four.
PREP: PREP num

8.
You can use half before an adjective describing an extreme quality, as a way of emphasizing and exaggerating something. (INFORMAL)
He felt half dead with tiredness...
ADV: ADV adj [emphasis]

Half can also be used in this way with a noun referring to a long period of time or a large quantity.
I thought about you half the night...
He wouldn’t know what he was saying half the time...
PREDET

9.
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)
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.’
ADV: with neg, usu ADV before v, ADV adj/adv, ADV n, also ADV as reply [emphasis]

10.
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.
You’re not half the man you think you are...
ADV: with neg, ADV n, ADV as/so adj [emphasis]

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.
It becomes clear that Montgomerie has a job and half on his hands.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR [emphasis]

12.
If you say that someone never does things by halves, you mean that they always do things very thoroughly.
In Italy they rarely do things by halves. Designers work thoroughly, producing the world’s most wearable clothes in the most beautiful fabrics.
PHRASE: with brd-neg, V inflects

13.
If two people go halves, they divide the cost of something equally between them.
He’s constantly on the phone to his girlfriend. We have to go halves on the phone bill which drives me mad.
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR on n

14.
half the battle: see battle

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