half

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++half1 /hɑːf $ hæf/ ●●● S1 W1 predeterminer, pronoun, adjective [only before noun]  1  50% 百分之五十SHARE exactly or about 50% (½) of an amount, time, distance, number etc 一半的，半half of Over half of the children live in one-parent families. 这些孩子有一半多生活在单亲家庭。 Only half the guests had arrived by seven o’clock. 7点钟前只来了一半客人。 If you look at our members, at least half are women. 看看我们的会员，至少有一半是女性。half a mile/pound/hour etc half a pound of butter 半磅黄油 It’s about half a mile down the road. 沿这条路走大约半英里就到了。 She drank half a bottle of wine. 她喝了半瓶酒。 half a million dollars 50万美元a half hour/mile etc You can’t just waltz in a half hour late. 你不可以迟到半小时才大摇大摆地进来。 It’s about a half mile down the road. 沿这条路走大约半英里就到了。 a half day excursion to the island 去岛上的半日游 He demanded a half share of the money. 他要求分得一半的钱。half the price/size/length etc It’s only half the size of a normal violin. 它只有普通小提琴的一半大。 They offered to pay half the cost of repairs. 他们提出支付一半的修理费用。2  most of 大部分MOST the largest part of something 一大半half of We missed half of what he said because someone was talking. 因为有人讲话，他大半的话我们都没听到。 She seems to be asleep half the time. 她似乎多半时间都在睡觉。 Getting covered in mud is half the fun. 很大一部分乐趣在于浑身沾满泥巴。3  TIME 时间half past one/two/three etc especially British English (also half one/two/three etc British English spoken)TMC 30 minutes after the hour mentioned 1点半/2点半/3点半等 I got home at about half past one. 我1点半左右到家的。 I rang at about half six. 我是6点半左右打电话的。 We’ll be there by seven or half past (=half past seven). 我们会在7点或7点半前到那儿。4  half a dozen a) HMNsix 半打，六个 half a dozen eggs 六只蛋 b) LOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNTa small number of people or things 几个 There were half a dozen other people in front of me. 我前面还有其他几个人。5  half a/the chance a small opportunity to do something, especially one which someone would take eagerly 一丁点机会 I’d go to university if I got half the chance. 要是我有一丁点机会，我就去上大学。 Many kids would sleep till noon given half a chance. 只要有机会，很多孩子会睡到中午。6  half an eye/ear if you have half an eye on something, or if you are listening with half an ear, you are giving only part of your attention to it 心不在焉[不全神贯注]地看/听 He listened with only half an ear and his thoughts wandered. 他心不在焉地听着，思绪游移不定。 The teacher kept half an eye on them all through the lesson. 整堂课上老师分出一部分注意力留意着他们。7  be half the battle spokenDIFFICULT used to say that when you have done the most difficult part of an activity, the rest is easy 成功了一大半 Getting the audience to like you is half the battle. 让观众喜欢你意味着成功了一大半。8  half a minute/moment/second etc spokenSHORT TIME a very short time 一会儿 Hold on, this will only take half a second. 等一等，一会儿就行了。9  only half the story SECRETan explanation that is not complete, used especially to say that someone is trying to keep something secret 只是〔事件的〕部分真相 Journalists are convinced that she was only telling them half the story. 记者们确信她只告诉了他们部分真相。10  have half a mind to do something spoken used to say that you would like to do something but you probably will not do it 有点想做某事〔但很可能不做〕 He had half a mind to ask for his money back. 他有点想要回他的钱。 I have half a mind to tell your mother about this. 我有点想把这事告诉你母亲。11  half measures EFFECTIVEactions or methods that are not strong enough, and so are not effective in dealing with a difficult problem 〔处理难题〕不彻底的办法[行动] This is no time for half measures. 这时候不痛不痒的办法行不通。12. half a loaf (is better than none) something that is less than what you wanted or asked for, but that you might accept because it is better than nothing 有总比没有好，聊胜于无5 GRAMMAR 语法• Use a plural verb after half (of) if you are referring to a number of people or things. 如果指若干人或事物，half (of)后要用复数动词Barely half the citizens bother to vote.只有半数公民愿意投票。• Use a singular verb if you are referring to an amount or thing. 如果指某一数量或事物，要用单数动词Half the food was wasted.一半的食物浪费了。• You do not usually say ‘the half’. 一般不说the halfOver half of Britain’s ancient woodland has been destroyed.英国超过一半的古林地已遭毁坏。• The only time you say ‘the half’ is when you are referring to a particular half. 只有在指特定的一半时，才可以用the halfI’ve only read half of the story (NOT 不说 the half of the story).这故事我才看了一半。• Do not say ‘half of hour’. Say half an hour or, especially in spoken American English, a half hour. 不要说 half of hour，而要说 half an hour 或者 a half hour (尤在美语口语中使用)。the first half of the book这本书的前半部分• Do not say ‘one and half’, ‘two and half’ etc. Say one and a half , two and a half etc. 不要说 one and half, two and half 等，而要说 one and a half, two and a half 等She is two and a half years old.她两岁半。• These phrases are followed by a plural noun, not a singular noun. 这样的短语后要用复数名词，而不要用单数名词one and a half days (NOT 不说 one and a half day)一天半n GrammarNumbers with half• You say one and a half, two and a half etc: 她两岁半。She is two and a half. ✗Don’t say: one and half | two and half• The phrases one and a half, two and a half etc are followed by a plural noun: We were there for one and a half days. ✗Don’t say: We were there for one and a half day.Singular or plural verb?• You can use half (of) with a plural noun and a plural verb: Only half the citizens vote.• You can use half (of) with an uncountable noun and a singular verb: Half the food was wasted. 一半的食物浪费了。Word orderYou say half (of) the: I’ve only read half the story. 这故事我才看了一半。 ✗Don’t say: I’ve only read the half story.

Examples from the Corpus

half the price/size/length etc• But the Boxster is about much more than just raw acceleration, which you can get for half the price elsewhere.• Tabloid a page half the size of a broadsheet.• This accommodation offers tremendous value and half the price of comparable Motels.• The whale was about thirty feet long, half the length of Hsu Fu, and would have weighed about seven tons.• This is a brown crustacean, half the size of the end of a pencil, that is extremely difficult to eradicate.• The forelimbs are less than half the length of the hind limbs, which suggests an obligatory bipedal posture.• It was half the size of the one he had just left, he noticed, unusually observant.• The general thinking was it would be about half the size of what it announced, about 20,000.half the fun• It always fails, but that's half the fun.• Nigel was left with just one woman in his life to torment, which was only half the fun.• But any truly individual room has to evolve slowly; this is half the fun and certainly half the charm.• At each stage, half the fun comes from sharing the trials and triumphs with friends who are undergoing the same experiences.• Judd said half the fun of being with girls was when he was doing the chasing.• Still, half the fun of this run is the anticipation.• Luck has always played a key role in doing the pools, but half the fun was thinking that skill mattered.

Related topics: Sport, Football, Drink

half2 ●●● S1 W2 noun (plural halves /hɑːvz $ hævz/) [countable]  1  50% 百分之五十SHARE one of two equal parts of something 一半，二分之一 Two halves make a whole. 两个一半构成一个整体。one/two etc and a half (=1½, 2½ etc) 一个半/两个半等 My son’s three and a half now. 我儿子现在三岁半了。 an hour and a half later 一个半小时以后 two and a half thousand people 两千五百人first/second/other half (of something) in the first half of the 19th century 在19世纪上半叶 He kept the other half of the cake for himself. 他把另一半蛋糕留给了自己。top/bottom/northern etc half (of something) A veil covered the lower half of her face. 面纱遮住了她的下半边脸。 the southern half of the country 这个国家的南半部break/cut/tear etc something in half (=into two equal parts) 将某物分成/切成/撕成等两半 She tore the piece of paper in half. 她把那张纸撕成了两半。reduce/cut something by half (=make something 50% smaller) 将某物减少一半 a plan to cut European forces by half 欧洲裁军一半的计划2  sport 体育运动DS one of the two parts into which a sports event is divided 半场first/second half France played very well in the first half. 法国队上半场打得非常好。3  player 运动员DSF a player who plays in the middle part of the field in sports like football, rugby etc 〔足球、橄榄球等的〕中场队员 the 23-year-old Newcastle centre half 23岁的纽卡斯尔队中前卫4  beer 啤酒 British EnglishDFD a half of a pint of beer 半品脱half of Can I have a half of lager, please? 给我来半品脱淡啤酒好吗？5  ticket 票 British EnglishTT a child’s ticket, for example on a bus or train, that is cheaper than an adult’s ticket 儿童半票 One and a half to Waterloo, please. 到滑铁卢一张全票，一张半票，谢谢。6  a ... and a half informalGOOD/EXCELLENT used when you think that something is very unusual or surprising, or very good …棒极了，…好极了 That was a meal and a half! 那顿饭棒极了！7  the half of it spokenWORSE used to emphasize that a situation is more difficult, complicated, or unpleasant than people realize 整个情况的一部分〔用于强调比人们所意识到的更难、更复杂或更糟〕 Everyone knows she’s a difficult girl, but they don’t know the half of it. 大家都知道她是个难相处的女孩，但却不知道她还有更糟糕的一面。8. your better half/other half old-fashionedMARRY used humorously to mean your husband, wife, or partner 你的另一半〔幽默用法，指丈夫或妻子〕9  not do something by halves CAREFULto do something very eagerly and using a lot of care and effort 一丝不苟地做某事，做某事不马虎 I’m sure it will be a fantastic wedding. Eva never does anything by halves. 我肯定婚礼一定会办得非常出色。伊娃办事从不马虎。10  go halves (on something) SHAREto share something, especially the cost of something, equally between two people 〔两人〕平均分摊(某物的费用)；平分，对半分 Do you want to go halves on a pizza? 你要和我合买一个比萨饼吗？11  too clever/rich/good etc by half British English informalANNOY very clever, rich etc in an annoying way 聪明/富有/好等过了头 That boy’s too arrogant by half. 那个男孩太傲慢了。12. how the other half lives SSLIFEhow people who are much richer or much poorer than you manage their lives, work, money etc 富人[穷人]是怎样过日子的n COLLOCATIONSverbsbreak/cut/tear something in half (=into two equal pieces)He tore the paper in half.divide/split something in halfDivide the dough in half.reduce/cut something by half (=make something 50% smaller or 50% less)The company has reduced the number of staff by half.decrease/fall by half (=become 50% less)Share prices fell by half.increase/rise by half (=become 50% more)The number of passengers using the service has increased by half.adjectivesthe top/bottom halfHe graduated in the top half of his law school class.the upper/lower halfThe upper half of the door contained a stained glass window.the northern/southern halfThe northern half of the city is generally poorer.the first/second halfProfits doubled in the first half of the year.the other halfHalf the patients were given the drug and the other half were given a sugar pill.the last/latter halfHe struggled with ill health in the latter half of his life.phrasesone/two etc and a half‘How old is she?’ ‘Five and a half.’

Examples from the Corpus

half• After an hour and a half, you too may find yourself chanting, Save us Jackie, save us.• Especially since I said to David about a week and a half ago and then.• The referee added seven minutes of injury time in a stop-start first half.• The home side went ahead through Thierry Henry in the first half and Nwankwo Kanu in the second.• Slice loin and place on other half of plate; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with basil.• It was even Steven in the second half, but towards the end Gloucester roared into life.reduce/cut something by half• Deglaze pan with nut-brown ale and reduce liquid by half. 3.• Remove the pears to a bowl, place the saucepan on the heat and reduce the sauce by half.• This eminently reasonable development cut their sales by half.• Our reckoning is that we should cut that by half.• It hopes to reduce consumption by half by the year 2025.• We reduced it by half and like the result very much.first/second half• The goalless first half finished on a controversial note when Cambridge were denied an advantage after winger Lee Philpott was felled.• During the first half of the 1980s, these cries actually put people to sleep.• I now invite you to complete the enclosed form detailing your sports events for the second half of the year.• While the deals continued, there was a palpably different mood about the show from the second half of the week onwards.• But teams have shot better in the second half against us.• They kept the Niners' defense on the field for almost 21 minutes in the first half, under a searing sky.• It sold 234,000 tons in the first half.• In the second half the work began to change dramatically.centre half• How long will he go on buying midfield players when what we still need is a centre half?• Noo there wis a centre half.• Although a recognised left back, Jimmy Phillips had experience at centre half with Rangers.• Curtis Fleming has been tried at centre half in two recent Central League games but lacks experience for a key job.• With Beeny in goal and Newsome and Wetherall at centre half did the defence look more assured?• Crewe centre half, Darren Carr got the header as the Hereford defence stood and watched.• Boss Billy Bonds has been impressed in training by the 23-year-old centre half from Partisan Belgrade.• Why did we not buy another younger centre half?half3 ●●● S2 adverb  1  MIDDLEpartly, but not completely 部分地，不完全地 He was half in the water and half out. 他的身体一半在水中，一半露在水面上。 She was standing there half dressed, putting on her make-up. 她衣服穿了一半，站在那里化着妆。 The door was only half closed. 门仅半开着。 The jug was still half full. 那个罐子还半满着呢。 a half-empty wine bottle 半空的葡萄酒瓶 I was only half awake. 我只是半醒着。 He looked half asleep. 他看上去半睡半醒。 I was half expecting her to say ‘no’. 我有点希望她会说不。 I half hoped that they wouldn’t come. 我有些希望他们不会来。 I said it half jokingly. 我是半开玩笑地说的。2  MIXif something is half one thing and half something else, it is a combination of those two things 一半〔表示某事物是两种事物的结合〕 He’s half English, half Swiss. 他有一半英格兰血统，一半瑞士血统。3  EMPHASIZEused to emphasize something bad, to say that it is almost an extremely bad thing 极其，非常〔强调情况很糟〕 The kitten looked half starved. 小猫看起来饿坏了。 He was half dead with exhaustion. 他累得半死。 I had been driven half out of my mind with worry. 我担心得都快发疯了。4  a) half as much/big etc half the size, amount etc of something else 一半多/大等 The new machine has all the same functions, but is only half as large. 这台新机器功能和原来的一样，但体积只有原来的一半大。 b) half as much/big etc againBIG larger by an amount that is equal to half the original size 多/大等一半 A flat in London costs almost half as much again as a flat in Glasgow. 伦敦的公寓价格几乎比格拉斯哥高出一半。5  not half as/so good/interesting etc (as somebody/something) LESSmuch less good, less interesting etc than someone or something else 远不如(某人/某物)好/有趣等 The movie wasn’t half as entertaining as the book. 这部电影远不如原书好看。 She can’t love you half as much as I do. 她不可能像我这样爱你。6  not half British English spokenLOT/VERY MUCH used when you want to emphasize an opinion or statement 极其，非常 She doesn’t half talk once she gets started. 她只要一打开话匣子就没个完。7  not half bad spokenGOOD/EXCELLENT an expression meaning good, used especially when you are rather surprised that something is good 相当好，不错〔尤指出乎意料〕 Actually, the party wasn’t half bad. 实际上，这次聚会很不错。8  half and half PARTLYpartly one thing and partly another 各占一半 The group was about half and half, complete beginners and people with some experience. 这个小组里有的完全是新手，有的有一些经验，差不多各占一半。

Examples from the Corpus

half• But LeRoy, he got one half again as big.• That's 45 percent more than in 1990, but virtually half as many as visited the Paris show.• Miss Russell had a morbid fear of sunlight fading carpets and furnishings, so the curtains were half drawn as usual.• I found him sitting on his bed, half-dressed.• "That's good, " he said dully, putting down his half-eaten sandwich.• By this time the poor charioteer was half fainting with terror, and he let the reins fall.• She half fell, half collapsed against it, unable to stop the tears of fear and anguish pouring down her face.• Her first album is now half finished and is due out later this year.• Her right hand rests on her knee, her left is half hidden in a pocket.• Cold and half naked in the darkened bedroom, Cantor felt the day had taken a shape for the worse.• There was a half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.• It struck me that there was nothing there half so beautiful as the vision just presented by its derelict predecessor.• The houses were half-submerged by the flood water.half asleep• He never lost his sense of humor, even when he was half asleep.• The old lady nodded, as if half asleep.• Inside, the Porter was half asleep behind a newspaper.• Most of the time they were half asleep, chatting about the weather.• Corporal L, the Royal Signals Operator, is half asleep in his chair.• Sorcerer felt dazed and half asleep, still dreaming wild dawn dreams.• She stayed on top of him, half asleep still.• It was a hot day, and I think I must have been half asleep when I noticed something very strange.

half1 predeterminer →5 GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2half2 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1half3 adverbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

exactly Corpus (½) 50% or of about

half

I

half¹ S1 W1 /hɑːf $ hæf/ predeterminer, pronoun, adjective [only before noun]
1.  50% exactly or about 50% (½) of an amount, time, distance, number etc
    half of
    Over half of the children live in one-parent families.
    Only half the guests had arrived by seven o__clock.
    If you look at our members, at least half are women.
    half a mile/pound/hour etc
    half a pound of butter
    It’s about half a mile down the road.
    She drank half a bottle of wine.
    half a million dollars
    a half hour/mile etc
    You can’t just waltz in a half hour late.
    It’s about a half mile down the road.
    a half day excursion to the island
    He demanded a half share of the money.
    half the price/size/length etc
    It’s only half the size of a normal violin.
    They offered to pay half the cost of repairs.
2.  MOST OF the largest part of something
    half of
    We missed half of what he said because someone was talking.
    She seems to be asleep half the time.
    Getting covered in mud is half the fun.
3.  TIME half past one/two/three etc especially British English (also half one/two/three etc British English spoken) 30 minutes after the hour mentioned:
    I got home at about half past one.
    I rang at about half six.
    We’ll be there by seven or half past (=half past seven).
4. half a dozen
  a. six:
    half a dozen eggs
  b. a small number of people or things:
    There were half a dozen other people in front of me.
5. half a/the chance a small opportunity to do something, especially one which someone would take eagerly:
    I’d go to university if I got half the chance.
    Many kids would sleep till noon given half a chance.
6. half an eye/ear if you have half an eye on something, or if you are listening with half an ear, you are giving only part of your attention to it:
    He listened with only half an ear and his thoughts wandered.
    The teacher kept half an eye on them all through the lesson.
7. be half the battle spoken used to say that when you have done the most difficult part of an activity, the rest is easy:
    Getting the audience to like you is half the battle.
8. half a minute/moment/second etc spoken a very short time:
    Hold on, this will only take half a second.
9. only half the story an explanation that is not complete, used especially to say that someone is trying to keep something secret:
    Journalists are convinced that she was only telling them half the story.
10. have half a mind to do something spoken used to say that you would like to do something but you probably will not do it:
    He had half a mind to ask for his money back.
    I have half a mind to tell your mother about this.
11. half measures actions or methods that are not strong enough, and so are not effective in dealing with a difficult problem:
    This is no time for half measures.
12. half a loaf (is better than none) something that is less than what you wanted or asked for, but that you might accept because it is better than nothing
     
GRAMMAR
  Use a plural verb after half (of) if you are referring to a number of people or things:
  ▪ Barely half the citizens bother to vote. Use a singular verb if you are referring to an amount or thing:
  ▪ Half the food was wasted.
  ▪ Over half of Britain’s ancient woodland has been destroyed.
  ► You do not usually say __the half__:
  ▪ I’ve only read half of the story (NOT the half of the story). The only time you say __the half__ is when you are referring to a particular half:
  ▪ the first half of the book
  ► Do not say __half of hour__. Say half an hour or, especially in spoken American English, a half hour.
  ► Do not say __one and half__, __two and half__ etc. Say one and a half, two and a half etc:
  ▪ She is two and a half years old. These phrases are followed by a plural noun, not a singular noun:
  ▪ one and a half days (NOT one and a half day)

II

half² S1 W2 noun (plural halves /hɑːvz $ hævz/) [countable]
1.  50% one of two equal parts of something:
    Two halves make a whole.
    one/two etc and a half (=1½, 2½ etc)
    My son’s three and a half now.
    an hour and a half later
    two and a half thousand people
    first/second/other half (of something)
    in the first half of the 19th century
    He kept the other half of the cake for himself.
    top/bottom/northern etc half (of something)
    A veil covered the lower half of her face.
    the southern half of the country
    break/cut/tear etc something in half (=into two equal parts)
    She tore the piece of paper in half.
    reduce/cut something by half (=make something 50% smaller)
    a plan to cut European forces by half
2.  SPORT one of the two parts into which a sports event is divided
    first/second half
    France played very well in the first half.
3.  PLAYER a player who plays in the middle part of the field in sports like football, rugby etc:
    the 23-year-old Newcastle centre half
4.  BEER British English a half of a pint of beer
    half of
    Can I have a half of lager, please?
5.  TICKET British English a child’s ticket, for example on a bus or train, that is cheaper than an adult’s ticket:
    One and a half to Waterloo, please.
6. a ... and a half informal used when you think that something is very unusual or surprising, or very good:
    That was a meal and a half!
7. the half of it spoken used to emphasize that a situation is more difficult, complicated, or unpleasant than people realize:
    Everyone knows she’s a difficult girl, but they don’t know the half of it.
8. your better half/other half old-fashioned used humorously to mean your husband or wife
9. not do something by halves to do something very eagerly and using a lot of care and effort:
    I’m sure it will be a fantastic wedding. Eva never does anything by halves.
10. go halves (on something) to share something, especially the cost of something, equally between two people:
    Do you want to go halves on a pizza?
11. too clever/rich/good etc by half British English informal very clever, rich etc in an annoying way:
    That boy’s too arrogant by half.
12. how the other half lives how people who are much richer or much poorer than you manage their lives, work, money etc
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ break/cut/tear something in half (=into two equal pieces) He tore the paper in half.
   ▪ divide/split something in half Divide the dough in half.
   ▪ reduce/cut something by half (=make something 50% smaller or 50% less) The company has reduced the number of staff by half.
   ▪ decrease/fall by half (=become 50% less) Share prices fell by half.
   ▪ increase/rise by half (=become 50% more) The number of passengers using the service has increased by half.
■ adjectives
   ▪ the top/bottom half He graduated in the top half of his law school class.
   ▪ the upper/lower half The upper half of the door contained a stained glass window.
   ▪ the northern/southern half The northern half of the city is generally poorer.
   ▪ the first/second half Profits doubled in the first half of the year.
   ▪ the other half Half the patients were given the drug and the other half were given a sugar pill.
   ▪ the last/latter half He struggled with ill health in the latter half of his life.
■ phrases
   ▪ one/two etc and a half ‘How old is she?’ ‘Five and a half.’

III

half³ S2 adverb
1. partly, but not completely:
    He was half in the water and half out.
    She was standing there half dressed, putting on her make-up.
    The door was only half closed.
    The jug was still half full.
    a half-empty wine bottle
    I was only half awake.
    He looked half asleep.
    I was half expecting her to say ‘no’.
    I half hoped that they wouldn’t come.
    I said it half jokingly.
2. if something is half one thing and half something else, it is a combination of those two things:
    He’s half English, half Swiss.
3. used to emphasize something bad, to say that it is almost an extremely bad thing:
    The kitten looked half starved.
    He was half dead with exhaustion.
    I had been driven half out of my mind with worry.
4.
  a. half as much/big etc half the size, amount etc of something else:
    The new machine has all the same functions, but is only half as large.
  b. half as much/big etc again larger by an amount that is equal to half the original size:
    A flat in London costs almost half as much again as a flat in Glasgow.
5. not half as/so good/interesting etc (as somebody/something) much less good, less interesting etc than someone or something else:
    The movie wasn’t half as entertaining as the book.
    She can’t love you half as much as I do.
6. not half British English spoken used when you want to emphasize an opinion or statement:
    She doesn’t half talk once she gets started.
7. not half bad spoken an expression meaning good, used especially when you are rather surprised that something is good:
    Actually, the party wasn’t half bad.
8. half and half partly one thing and partly another:
    The group was about half and half, complete beginners and people with some experience.