go halves see under half

go hang (slang)

1. To be forgotten, neglected
2. To be no longer of concern

go hard (with) see under hard¹

go in

1. To enter
2. (of the sun or moon) to become concealed behind cloud
3. To begin batting (cricket)

go in and out

To come and go freely

go in for

1. To make a practice of
2. To take up as a career or special interest
3. To take part in (a competition, etc)

go into

1. To enter
2. To examine thoroughly, investigate or elaborate on
3. To adopt as a profession, etc
4. (of a whole number) to be capable of dividing a number

go in unto (Bible)

To have sexual intercourse with

go in with

1. To enter into partnership with
2. To join, combine with

go it

To act in a striking or dashing manner (often in imperative by way of encouragement)

go it alone see under alone

go live /līv/ (informal; of a radio station, automation equipment, etc)

To go into operation

go native

To assimilate oneself to an alien culture or to the way of life of a foreign country (usu less advanced than one's own)

go off

1. To leave
2. To explode
3. (of an alarm) to sound
4. To deteriorate
5. (of food) to become rotten and inedible
6. To proceed to an expected conclusion
7. To cease to like or be fond of (a person, etc) (informal)
8. To go to sleep
9. To experience an orgasm (slang)
10. To scold, reprimand (with at; Aust sl)
11. To be raided by the police (old Aust sl)
12. To get married (old Aust sl)
13. To cease to operate
14. To die (Shakespeare)

go off with

1. To go away with
2. To remove, take away (informal)

go on

1. To continue, proceed
2. An exclamation expressing disbelief (informal)
3. To behave, conduct oneself (informal)
4. To happen, as in What's going on?
5. To talk at length (informal)
6. To be capable of being fitted onto
7. To appear on stage
8. To fare
9. To begin to function
10. To proceed from (as in nothing to go on)

go on at

To carp at persistently

go one better

In some card games, to take a bet and increase the stake (also go better)

go one better (than)

1. To outdo, excel
2. To cap a performance
3. To achieve something more impressive, effective, etc (than someone or something)

go one's own way, go one's way see under way¹

go out

1. To become extinguished
2. To become unfashionable
3. To be broadcast
4. To mingle in society (old)

go out with

To have a romantic relationship with

go over

1. To examine or check in review
2. To recall
3. To revise

go over to

To transfer allegiance to

go places

1. To travel widely
2. To go far in personal advancement

go round

To be enough for all

go slow

(of workers) deliberately to restrict output or effort in order to obtain concessions from employers (go-slowˈ adjective and noun)

go slow with

To be sparing with

go steady

To court romantically, date regularly (with with)

go the whole hog see under whole

go through

1. To perform to the end, often perfunctorily
2. To examine in order
3. To undergo
4. To be approved
5. To use up or spend (informal)

go through fire and water

To undertake any trouble or risks (from the usage in ancient ordeals)

go through with

To carry out

go to (archaic)

Come now (a kind of interjection, like the L agedum, the Gr age nyn)

go to pieces see under piece

go to show (or prove)

To serve as an illustration for or as evidence of

go to the country see under country

go to the wall see under wall

go under

1. To become submerged, overwhelmed or ruined, eg (of a business) to fail, fold
2. To die (archaic)

go up

1. To ascend
2. To be erected
3. To be destroyed by fire or explosion
4. (of costs, prices, etc) to increase
5. To enter a university

go with

1. To accompany
2. To agree with, accord with
3. To court romantically

go without

To suffer the lack of

go without saying

To be self-evident (a Gallicism; Fr cela va sans dire)

great go

1. At Cambridge University, a degree examination, contrasted with little go (last held in 1961), a preliminary examination
2. At Oxford University, Greats (obsolete)

have a go (informal)

1. To make an attempt
2. (of a member of the public) to tackle a criminal

have a go at (informal)

1. To criticize severely
2. To attack physically
3. To tease or pick on

have something going for one (informal)

To enjoy the advantage of something

I could go (informal)

I could do with, I wouldn't mind (a drink, rest, etc)

let go see under let¹

make a go of

To make a valiant attempt to succeed at something

no go

1. Not possible
2. Futile
3. In vain

no-go area

A part of a city, etc to which normal access is prevented by the erection of barricades, esp by local militants, a paramilitary group, etc

on the go

Very active

to be going on with (informal)

For the moment, in the meantime

to go (usu N American)

(of food or drink from a restaurant or cafe) to be consumed off the premises

half /häf/

noun (pl halves /hävz/ or (except for the first definition) halfs)

1. One of two equal parts
2. A half-year or term
3. Half-fare, on a bus, train, etc
4. A halfback
5. A halved hole or match in golf
6. Half a pint, usu of beer (informal)
7. A measure of an alcoholic spirit, esp whisky (Scot)

adjective

1. Having or consisting of one of two equal parts
2. Partial
3. Incomplete, as measures

adverb

1. To the extent of one-half
2. In part
3. Imperfectly

halfˈen adjective (Spenser)

Half

halfˈendeale adverb (Spenser)

Half

halfˈlin or halfˈling noun (Scot)

1. A half-grown (esp male) person
2. Half a silver penny

adjective

Half-grown

halfˈlings or halfˈlins adverb (Scot)

1. Half
2. Partially

adjective

Half-grown

halfˈ-adder noun (computing)

A circuit having two inputs and outputs, which can add two binary digits and give the sum and the carry digit

halfˈ-and-halfˈ noun

A mixture of two things in equal proportions, traditionally beer or stout and ale

adjective and adverb

1. In the proportion of one to one, or approximately
2. In part one thing, in part another

halfˈ-ape noun

A lemur

halfˈ-arsed or (US) halfˈ-assed adjective (vulgar sl)

Stupid, useless

halfˈback noun

1. (in football) a midfield player (old)
2. (in rugby) either of two players (the scrum half and stand-off half) acting as a link between the forwards and the three-quarters
3. (in American football) a running back positioned in front of the full back

halfˈ-bakedˈ adjective

1. Underdone
2. Incomplete
3. Crude
4. Immature
5. Half-witted

halfˈ-ball noun (snooker, etc)

A shot in which the cue ball is aimed at the edge of the object ball

halfˈ-baptize or halfˈ-baptise transitive verb

To baptize privately and hastily

halfˈbeak noun

A fish (Hyporhynchus, etc) with a spearlike under-jaw

halfˈ-binding noun

A bookbinding with only backs and corners of leather or a similar material

halfˈ-blood noun

1. Relation between those who have only one parent in common
2. A half-breed (offens)

halfˈ-blooded adjective

halfˈ-blue noun

(at university) a substitute for a full blue, or the colours awarded him or her

half board noun

1. (in hotels, etc) the providing of bed, breakfast and one main meal per day, demi-pension
2. A manoeuvre by which a sailing-ship gains distance to windward by luffing up into the wind (nautical)

halfˈ-boot noun

A boot reaching halfway to the knee

halfˈ-bound adjective

Bound in half-binding

halfˈ-bred adjective

1. Poorly bred or trained
2. Mongrel, of mixed breed

halfˈ-breed noun

A person or animal of mixed breed (of people, usu with one white and one non-white parent; offensive)

halfˈ-brother noun

A brother with whom one has only one parent in common

halfˈ-butt noun (billiards, etc)

A cue longer than the standard snooker cue

halfˈ-caf or halfˈ-caff noun (informal)

Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee in equal proportions

halfˈ-cap noun (Shakespeare)

A cap only partly taken off, a slight salute

halfˈ-caste noun (offens)

A person whose parents are from different races, esp a Eurasian

half-cenˈtury noun

1. A period of 50 years
2. (esp in cricket, snooker, etc) a score of 50

halfˈ-chance noun

A slight opportunity, esp to score in football

halfˈ-checked adjective (Shakespeare)

With reins attached halfway up the side-piece of the bit, giving little leverage

halfˈ-cheek noun (Shakespeare)

A face in profile

halfˈ-close noun (music)

An imperfect cadence

half-cockˈ noun

1. The position of the cock of a gun drawn back halfway and retained by the first notch (at half-cock only partially prepared)
2. A stroke made by playing neither forward nor back (cricket)

adverb

In that position

halfˈ-cockedˈ adjective

half-crownˈ noun

1. A coin worth half-a-crownˈ or two shillings and sixpence, from 1970 no longer legal tender
2. A sum of money equivalent to this (also adjective)

half-cutˈ adjective (informal)

Drunk

half-dayˈ noun

1. A holiday of half a working day
2. A day on which one works in the morning or afternoon only

half-deadˈ adjective (informal)

Very weary, exhausted

half-dollˈar noun

An American coin worth 50 cents (also adjective)

halfˈ-done adjective

1. Partly done
2. Partly cooked

halfˈ-door noun

The lower part of a divided door

half-dozˈen noun and adjective

Six

half-dūˈplex adjective (computing, telegraphy, etc)

Allowing communication or transmission in both directions, but not simultaneously

halfe-horsˈy adjective (Spenser)

(of the Centaurs) partly of the nature of horses

half-evˈergreen adjective

1. Having foliage that persists during part of winter
2. Tending to be evergreen in mild areas but deciduous where the climate is more rigorous

halfˈ-face noun

Profile

halfˈ-faced adjective (Shakespeare)

1. Showing only part of the face
2. Thin-faced

halfˈ-frame adjective

(of a photograph) taking up half the normal area of a frame

halfˈ-hardy adjective

Able to grow in the open air except in winter

half-heartˈed adjective

Lacking in zeal

half-heartˈedly adverb

half-heartˈedness noun

half hitch noun

A simple knot tied round an object

half-holˈiday noun

Half of a working day for recreation

half-hose see hose

half-hourˈ noun

1. A period of 30 minutes (also adjective)
2. A point marking such a period on a clock, etc

half-hourˈly adjective and adverb

At intervals of 30 minutes

half-hunter see hunter under hunt

half-inchˈ noun

Half of an inch of length

transitive verb (rhyming sl)

To pinch, steal

half-inˈteger noun

A number formed by the division of an odd integer by two

half-inˈtegral adjective

halfˈ-kirtle noun

A kind of jacket worn by women in the 16 and 17c

halfˈ-landing noun

A small landing at the bend of a staircase

halfˈ-leather noun

A half-binding for a book, with leather on back and corners

halfˈ-length noun

A portrait showing the upper part of the body

adjective

Of half the whole or ordinary length

halfˈ-life noun

The period of time in which activity of a radioactive substance falls to half its original value

halfˈ-light noun

1. Dim light
2. Twilight

halfˈ-loaf noun

A loaf of half the standard weight

half-marˈathon noun

A foot-race just over half the length of a marathon (21.243km, 13 miles 352 yards)

half mast noun

The position of a flag partly lowered, in respect for the dead or in signal of distress

half-mastˈ adverb and transitive verb

half measure noun

(often in pl) any means inadequate for the end proposed

half-milˈer noun

A runner specializing in races of 800 metres or half a mile

half-moonˈ noun

1. The moon at the quarters when half the disc is illuminated
2. Anything semicircular

half-mournˈing noun

1. Mourning attire less than deep or full mourning
2. The condition of having one black eye (slang)

half nelson see nelson

halfˈ-note noun (music; N American)

A minim

half-oneˈ noun (golf)

1. A handicap of one stroke every second hole
2. Same as half past one below

half pay noun

Reduced pay, as for an officer not on active service

halfˈ-pay adjective

On half pay

halfpenny /hāpˈni/ noun (pl halfpence /hāˈpəns/, or halfpennies /hāpˈniz/)

1. A coin worth half a penny, withdrawn from circulation in 1985
2. Its value
3. Anything very small (Shakespeare)

adjective

Valued at a halfpenny

halfpennyworth /hāpˈni-wûrth/ noun

(also hap'orth /hāpˈərth/) as much as is sold for a halfpenny or is worth a halfpenny

halfˈ-pie adjective (Maori pai good; NZ inf)

1. Not very good
2. Badly done

halfˈ-pike noun

1. A short-shafted pike
2. A spontoon

halfˈ-pint noun (slang)

A very small person

halfˈ-pipe noun

A U-shaped structure made of concrete or hard snow used by skateboarders or snowboarders in performing stunts

halfˈ-plate see plate

halfˈ-pound noun

Half a pound

adjective

Weighing half a pound

half-poundˈer noun

1. A fish or other thing weighing half a pound
2. A gun that fires a half-pound shot

half-priceˈ noun

A charge reduced to half

adjective and adverb

At half the usual price

half-roundˈ noun

A semicircle

adjective (Milton)

Semicircular

half-royˈal noun

A kind of millboard

half-seas-oˈver adjective and adverb

1. Halfway across the sea
2. Half-drunk (informal)

halfˈ-shell noun

One shell or valve of a bivalve

half-shiftˈ noun

A position of the hand in violin-playing giving notes a semitone above the open-string position

halfˈ-sister noun

A sister with whom one has only one parent in common

half-sizeˈ noun

Any size in clothes, etc halfway between two full sizes

halfˈ-sole noun

The part of a shoe-sole from the instep to the toe

half-soveˈreign noun

A gold coin worth half-a-sovˈereign or ten shillings

half-starvedˈ adjective

Very inadequately fed

half step noun (music; N American)

A semitone

halfˈ-sword noun

Fighting within half a sword's length, close fighting

half-termˈ noun

(a holiday taken at) the mid point of an academic term

halfˈ-text noun

Handwriting half the size of text (also adjective)

halfˈ-tide noun

The stage midway between flood and ebb

adjective

Uncovered at half-tide

half-timˈbered adjective

Built of a timber frame, with spaces filled in

half-timeˈ noun

1. Half of full or whole time
2. The middle of the whole time
3. A short break halfway through a game (sport)
4. (in industry) half the time usually worked

adjective /häf'/

At or for half-time

half-timˈer noun

Someone who works half the full time

halfˈ-tint noun

Intermediate tone, between light and dark

half-tiˈtle noun

1. A short title preceding the title page or before a section of a book
2. The page on which this appears

halfˈ-tone adjective

Representing light and shade photographically by dots of different sizes

noun

1. A half-tone illustration
2. A semitone (music)

halfˈ-track noun

A motor vehicle with wheels in front and caterpillar tracks behind (also adjective)

halfˈ-truth noun

1. A belief containing an element of truth
2. A statement conveying only part of the truth

half volley see volley

halfwayˈ (sometimes /häfˈwā/) adverb

1. Midway
2. At half the distance
3. Imperfectly
4. Slightly, barely (informal)

halfˈway adjective

Equidistant from two points

halfway house noun

1. Orig an inn, etc situated midway between two towns or points on a journey, etc
2. A midway point or state
3. A centre offering accommodation and rehabilitation to eg released prisoners, people recovering from mental illness, etc

half-wellington see wellington

halfˈwit noun

1. An idiot (informal)
2. A would-be wit (obsolete)

halfwittˈed adjective

1. Foolish, stupid (informal)
2. Mentally defective (obsolete)

halfˈ-year noun

Half of a year, six months

half-yearˈly adjective

Occurring or appearing every half-year

adverb

Twice a year

noun

A half-yearly publication

by half

By a long way

by halves

1. Incompletely
2. Half-heartedly

cry halves

To claim half

go halves

To share equally

half past one, two, etc, half after one, two, etc (informal)

Thirty minutes after one o'clock, two o'clock, etc

how the other half lives (facetious)

Other (esp richer or poorer) people's way of life

not half (slang)

1. Not moderately
2. Not even half
3. Not at all
4. Very much, exceedingly

one's other (or better) half

One's spouse or partner