half */*/*/

UK [hɑːf] / US [hæf] adjective, adverb, noun, number, predeterminer, pronoun
Word forms "half":
singular half plural halves UK [hɑːvz] / US [hævz]

Summary:

Half can be used in the following ways: - as a predeterminer (followed by a word such as "a", "the", "this", or "his"): We live half a mile up the road. ♦ I have to spend half my time looking after the children. - as a pronoun: Let's share the prize money. You can have half. (followed by "of"): 48 is half of 96. ♦ Half of us are still unemployed. (following "in" or "by"): Cut the apple in half. ♦ The crime rate has been reduced by half. - as an adjective (followed by a noun): We ordered a half bottle of red wine. ♦ They sold 250 tickets in the first half hour. - as an adverb (followed by an adjective, adverb, or preposition): I was only half awake. ♦ She spoke half in Italian and half in English. (followed by a verb or participle): I only half understood what she was saying. ♦ a half finished building (followed by "as"): A nurse only earns half as much as a doctor. - as a countable noun: The group was divided into two halves. ♦ Our team scored two goals in the second half. - as a number: Emma was talking well by the age of two and a half.
Get it right: half:
Don't use a or the before half or half of:
Wrong: Nearly a half of the programmes included advertising.
Right: Nearly half of the programmes included advertising.
Wrong: Girls constitute the half of the population of universities.
Right: Girls constitute half of the population of universities. You can use the definite article (the) before half with an adjective such as first, second, or next when you are referring to something that has been mentioned before:
The second half of the film is not as good as the first. The movement gathered impetus during the next half century. When half forms part of a number, the most common structure is one and a half, two and a half, three and a half etc.
Wrong: Tourists can visit any of these sites within one and half hours.
Right: Tourists can visit any of these sites within one and a half hours.
Wrong: They made us wait for two hours and a half for our visa.
Right: They made us wait two and a half hours for our visa. Always use a plural noun in this structure:
Wrong: A 90-minute film might last two and a half hour with commercials.
Right: A 90-minute film might last two and a half hours with commercials.

1) ½ or 50%

a) used for referring to one of two equal parts into which an amount, group, or object can be divided

The rebel army now controls over half the country.

The students spend half their time on practical work.

half of:

Prices rose by over 15% during the second half of 1988.

Would anyone like the other half of my pizza?

When we interviewed employees, nearly half of them complained of stress.

divide/cut/split etc something in half:

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half.

b) used in numbers, measurements, and ages to mean ½

One and a half million people have been driven from their homes.

Jasmine started school when she was four and a half.

half an hour/a mile etc:

We had to wait half an hour for a bus.

half hour/mile etc:

She walked the half mile from Fleet Street back to her office.

half a dozen/a half dozen (= six):

half a dozen eggs

c) used for saying that someone or something is made up of 50% of one thing and 50% of something else

half something (and) half something:

The fabric is half nylon, half cotton.

Marie is half Vietnamese, half French (= one of her parents is from Vietnam, the other is from France).

The fearsome creature was half man and half beast.

half and half (= 50% of each):

There used to be a lot more men than women in the medical school, but now it's about half and half.

2) partly used for saying that something happens partly but not completely, or that something is partly in a particular state

Through the half open door I could hear the sound of Alan's voice.

The rocks were half under water.

I only half understood the instructions.

half-empty/half-full:

a half-empty milk bottle

3) used for emphasis used for emphasizing how bad or extreme a situation is

Your mother's been going half crazy worrying about you.

I seem to spend half my life cleaning up after those kids.

4) period in a game one of the two equal periods of time into which a game of football, basketball, hockey etc is divided

Neither team scored in the first half.

5) British mainly spoken beer half a pint of a drink, especially beer

A pint of lager and a half of Guinness, please.

6) British ticket a ticket for a child or an old person, that only costs half the price that an adult usually pays

Two and two halves to London Bridge, please.

7) British one of two areas in a sports field one of the two equal areas of the field that are defended by either team in a game such as football

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...and a half — mainly spoken used for emphasizing that you think something is very big, very good etc

When Australia play England – that'll be a match and a half!

half a minute/second — mainly spoken an extremely short time

If you'd only listen for half a minute, I could explain everything.

half as much/many again — used for saying that an amount/a number is 50% greater than another amount/number

A flat in London costs half as much again as a similar flat in Glasgow.

half past one/two etc — 30 minutes after one o'clock/two o'clock etc

The shops close at half past five.

Usage note:
In spoken British English people often say "half one", "half two" etc, which has the same meaning as "half past one", "half past two" etc: Shall we meet about half four? (=4.30 pm)

half the fun/problem/trouble etc with something — a large part of the fun/problem/trouble etc that is involved in something

Putting up the decorations is half the fun of Christmas.

increase/cut etc something by half — to make something 50% more/less

The risk of developing lung cancer has been reduced by half.

not do things/anything by halves — to do things very thoroughly and with a lot of energy

He'll throw a great party – he doesn't do anything by halves.

not half as good/bad/much etc as — used for emphasizing that one person or thing is not nearly as good/bad etc as another

I never thought that Chaplin was half as funny as Buster Keaton.

someone's other/better half — humorous someone's wife, husband, or partner

too clever/eager/cocky etc by half — British

spoken used for showing that you do not approve of someone because they are clever/enthusiastic/confident etc in a way that annoys you

People regularly accuse him of being too clever by half.

you don't know/haven't heard the half of it — spoken used for telling someone that a situation is more shocking or complicated than they think

- given half a chance

- go halves

- half the battle

- how the other half lives

- not half

- not half bad

See:

mind I