half

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   One of two equal parts of something.

   She gave me half of her sandwich.

2. 2
   adv

   Partly, or to the degree of one half.

   We were half hidden behind the bushes.

3. 3
   adj

   Sharing only one parent, used of brothers and sisters.

   She has a half brother from her father's first marriage.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Half is an Old English word whose ancient root meant “side.” Its earliest English sense was one of the two sides of something.

From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz. Cognates Cognate with Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch half, West Frisian heal, Dutch half, German halb, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian halv, Icelandic hálfur and Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 (halbs). Compare halve, behalf.

Topics

External links

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