half-court

noun

ˈhaf-ˈkȯrt How to pronounce half-court (audio)
ˈhäf-
: a dividing line that separates a playing court into equal halves (as in basketball)
also : the area comprising each half

Examples of half-court in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Houston’s last chance, fittingly, was a half-court heave from Brooks that would’ve stolen the game. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 An offseason half-court drill during which Watkins was teamed with forwards Rayah Marshall and Taylor Bigby still sticks in Marshall’s mind. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2023 Walker Park has one full-sized court with two goals and two half-courts with a goal each. Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 31 July 2023 In Flex, the Mitzi E. Newhouse’s thrust has been done over into a half-court (by Matt Saunders) and practices and games play out onstage. Vulture, 20 July 2023 Outdoors, a resort pool with cabanas and lap lanes, kiddie pool, playground, event lawn and pickleball and half-court basketball courts provide fun for all. Dallas Builders Association, Dallas News, 4 July 2023 This was half-court, six-on-six basketball, a game where dribbling was limited and only forwards were permitted to score. Zion Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 1 June 2023 After over seven years of fundraising, MPS and a coalition of community organizations on Friday revealed a new artificial turf athletic field with a 400-meter track and basketball half-courts. Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2023 Green made some improvement as a half-court decision maker in 2022-23, though his sophomore season didn't feature a notable leap. Michael Shapiro, Chron, 24 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'half-court.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-court was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near half-court

Cite this Entry

“Half-court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-court. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!