halve
/hɑːv
/verb [with object]
1Divide into two parts of equal or roughly equal size: halve the aubergine lengthways...
- Peel the onion and halve along the length, keeping the base to hold the layers together.
- Soft-boil 4 eggs and cool immediately, peel and halve.
- Peel, halve and de-root the onion, and chop finely.
Synonyms
cut in half, divide into two equal parts, divide in two, split in two, sever in two, divide equally, share equally, bisect
1.1Reduce or be reduced by half: [no object]: pre-tax profits nearly halved to £5 m [with object]: his pledge to halve the deficit over the next four years...
- Friends of the Earth has suggested that this could be halved in size to avoid damaging a peatland protected by European law because of its wildlife.
- A long-established shop is to be halved in size because of a rent rise of almost 50 per cent.
- A 6,000-seat Velopark will also later be halved in size, to include facilities for local restaurants and pubs.
Synonyms
reduce by fifty per cent, decrease by fifty per cent, lessen by fifty per cent
1.2Share (something) equally with another person: she insisted on halving the bill...
- Such fun when they tally the bill and then halve it!
- Nice mistake Murray but you should maybe halve the winnings - she did pick the teams in the first place!
1.3 Golf Use the same number of strokes as one’s opponent and thus draw (a hole or match): they halved the extra hole in bogey-5s...
- One down at the turn, O'Hara turned the match on its head to take the lead by the 12th and he hung on grimly, taking the 16th when the German put his approach shot in the burn and halving the 17th for victory.
- The most spectacular recovery came from Stenson and Thomas Bjorn, who combined to win the 16th and 17th, with an eagle and a birdie respectively, before halving the 18th.
- They halved the 10th & 11th and Dermott won the 12th to reduce the deficit to 2.
2 (usually as noun halving) Fit (crossing timbers) together by cutting out half the thickness of each: the mitre halving has a neater appearance...
- So, for building hardwood and softwood frames or repairing damaged timber around the house, a practical knowledge of halving joints is a real asset.
- Lapping is performed in a variety of ways - either by simply halving the end of each timber, or by halving and dovetailing.
- The timbers are halved and held together with wooden pins.
Origin
Middle English: from half.