Word: Half

Pronunciation

/hɑːf/

Definitions

• Noun: One of two equal parts that together make up a whole. Example: “I’ll take the top half of the sandwich.”
• Adjective: Constituting or being one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole. Example: “Half of the class is absent today.”
• Verb (informal): To separate or divide into halves. Example: “We can half the cake so that everyone gets a piece.”

Phrases

• “A half-hour”: Thirty minutes.
• “Half past”: Used in telling time to indicate that the minute hand is on the half hour mark. Example: “It’s half past six.”
• “Halfway”: At the middle point between two places or stages. Example: “We’re halfway through the project.”
• “In half”: To split or divide something into two equal parts. Example: “Can you cut this apple in half?”
• “At half-mast”: When a flag is flown halfway up its flagpole, typically as a sign of mourning.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “She drank only half of her coffee before leaving for work.”
• Adjective: “The team won half of their games this season.”
• Verb: “Let’s half the pizza; you can have the side with extra cheese.”

Synonyms

• Portion
• Fraction
• Partial
• Share
• Division
• Segment
• Split (as a verb)

Note: As a verb, ‘half’ is less commonly used in formal writing or speech and is more informal or colloquial. In standard usage, verbs like ‘divide’, ‘split’, or ‘cut’ are often preferred to convey the action of making halves.