A half is one of two equal parts of something:
Half an orange.
The plural of half is halves, pronounced /hɑ:vz/:
She cut it into two halves.
Half in noun phrases
We can use half and half of before nouns with the definite article (the), possessives (my, your) and demonstratives (this, that):
We spent half the time talking. It was an absolute waste of time for all of us.
Why don’t you have half my chocolate?
At least half of those books can be sold.
Half of, not half, can occur with a pronoun as head of the noun phrase:
Almost half of us were not allowed to vote. It was completely unfair.
Half, not half of, is used in the pattern half a/an and is followed by a noun of measurement:
It’s at least half a kilometre to those shops.
Not: …half of a kilometre… or …half kilometre…
It’ll take me half an hour so I’ll see you at the club.
Not: …half of an hour… or …half hour…
Half as an adverb
We can use half as an adverb which means ‘not completely’, ‘partly’:
She’s half French and half Algerian.
The theatre wasn’t even half full.
She is not half as clever as her sister.
Half as a noun
It took them a day and a half to reach the top of the mountain.
He’s lecturing on English painting in the first half of the nineteenth century.
It looks like it’s broken but we should be able to glue the two halves together.
Half as an adjective
They’re offering the flowers for almost half price.
Children under sixteen can travel half fare on trains.
Credit:(“Half” from English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)
credit/source: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/common-nouns/half
Additional Article for this topic:
halves
[havz, hahvz]
1.
plural of half.
2.
by halves,
- incompletely or partially:to do things by halves.
- halfheartedly:better not at all than by halves.
3.
noun, plural halves
[havz, hahvz] (Show IPA) adjective adverb Idioms
go halves, to share equally; divide evenly.
half
[haf, hahf]
1.
one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole, as an object, or unit of measure or time; a part of a whole equal or almost equal to the remainder.
2.
a quantity or amount equal to such a part (½).
3.
Sports. either of two equal periods of play, usually with an intermission or rest period separating them.
Compare quarter (def 10).
4.
one of two; a part of a pair.
5.
Informal.
- half dollar.
- the sum of 50 cents:Four dimes and two nickels make a half.
6.
Baseball. either of the two units of play into which an inning is divided, the visiting team batting in the first unit and the home team batting in the second.
7.
Football. a halfback.
8.
British Informal.
- a half-crown coin.
- the sum of a half crown; two shillings, sixpence.
- a half pint:He ordered a half of ale.
9.
being one of two equal or approximately equal parts of a divisible whole:
a half quart.
10.
being half or about half of anything in degree, amount, length, etc.:
at half speed; half sleeve.
11.
partial or incomplete:
half measures.
12.
in or to the extent or measure of half.
13.
in part; partly; incompletely:
half understood.
14.
to some extent; almost:
half recovered.
15.
by half, by very much; by far:
She was too talented by half for her routine role.
16.
half again as much / many, as much as 50 percent more:
This mug holds half again as much coffee as the smaller one.
17.
half in two, Southern U.S. (chiefly Gulf States) . in or into two parts; in half:
Cut the cake half in two.
18.
in half, divided into halves:
The vase broke in half.
19.
not half,
- not at all; not really:His first attempts at painting are not half bad.
- half (def 20).
20.
not the half of, a significant yet relatively minor part of something that remains to be described in full:
Idioms
He accused them of being responsible for the error, and that's not the half of the story.
Also, not half of, not half.
before 900; Middle English; Old English h(e)alf; cognate with German Halb,Old Norse halfr, Gothic halbs
Grammar note
See well1.
halve
[hav, hahv]
verb (used with object), halved, halving.
1.
to divide into two equal parts.
2.
to share equally:
to halve one's rations with a stranger.
3.
to reduce to half.
4.
Golf. to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent.
5.
halve together, to join (two pieces of wood) by cutting from one, at the place of joining, a portion fitting to that left solid in the other.
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