halve

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   divide by two

   Divide into halves.

2. 2
   verb

   To reduce to half the original amount.

   These show that since 1946 the fatality rate in train and movement accidents combined has been halved, [...].

3. 3
   verb

   To make up half of.

   So far apart their lives are thrown / From the twin soul that halves their own.

4. 4
   verb

   In match play, to achieve a tie or draw on.

   I, of course, had no difficulty in doing likewise, and we halved the hole; but the awkward fact remained that I must now gain every hole to win the match, for my opponent's score was "nine up," and there only remained ten holes to play.

From Middle English halven, helven, from Old English hilfan, helfan, *hielfan (“to halve, divide in two”), from Proto-West Germanic *halbijan, from Proto-Germanic *halbijaną (“to halve”), from Proto-Germanic *halbaz (“half”). Cognate with Middle Dutch halven (“to halve”), Middle High German halben, helben (“to halve”). Compare also West Frisian helte (“to halve”), Dutch halveren (“to halve”), German Low German halberen (“to halve”), German halbieren (“to halve”), Danish halvere (“to halve”), Swedish halvera (“to halve”).

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