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by halves
half H0021100 (hăf, häf)n. pl. halves (hăvz, hävz) 1. a. One of two equal parts that together constitute a whole.b. One part approximately equal to the remaining part.2. Informal A 50-cent piece.3. Sports a. One of the two playing periods into which certain games are divided.b. A halfback.4. Chiefly British A school term; a semester.5. Half an hour: a half past one.adj.1. a. Being one of two equal parts.b. Being approximately a half.2. Partial or incomplete: gave me a half smile.adv.1. To the extent of exactly or nearly 50 percent: The tank is half empty.2. Not completely or sufficiently; partly: only half right.Idioms: by half1. By a considerable extent.2. By an excessive amount: too clever by half. by halves In a reluctant manner; unenthusiastically.half again as many/much One-and-a-half times as much or as many; 50 percent more. in half Into halves. not half Not at all: "Fancy housing? Not half likely, ma'am" (Russell Baker). not the half of Only a fraction or a small part of.
[Middle English, from Old English healf; see skel- in Indo-European roots.]by halves
by halvesHalf-heartedly or only partially. You kids need to clean your rooms today, and don't do it by halves—I want every last toy picked up!See also: by, halvesby halvesImperfectly, reluctantly, or half-heartedly, as in You really can't paint a portrait by halves. [Mid-1500s] See also: by, halves by halves In a reluctant manner; unenthusiastically.See also: by, halvesEncyclopediaSeehalfLegalSeeHalf |