half hour

noun

1

: thirty minutes

2

: the middle point of an hour

half-hourly

ˈhaf-ˈau̇(-ə)r-lē 

ˈhäf-

adverb or adjective

Examples of half hour in a Sentence

Trains depart every half hour.

I waited a half hour in line.

Recent Examples on the Web

And then another half hour is later dedicated to Tom’s second kill after Dickie’s friend Freddie (Eliot Sumner) begins to suspect foul play. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 6 June 2024

For more than a half hour after that Sunday afternoon game, catcher Logan O’Hoppe sat in the Angels dugout conferring with bench coach Ray Montgomery. —Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register, 27 May 2024

Following a two and half hour delay, and a pending coming thunderstorm, the two teams mutually agreed to suspend the game. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 May 2024

When the other teen denied it, Pike allegedly kneed her in the face, kicking off a half hour of taunting, beating and slashing. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 24 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

half hour

noun

1

: thirty minutes

2

: the middle point of an hour

half-hourly

ˈhaf-ˈau̇(ə)r-lē

ˈhȧf-

adverb or adjective