halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhäv

halved; halving

transitive verb

1

a

: to divide into two equal parts

b

: to reduce to one half

halving the present cost

c

: to share equally

2

golf : to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent

I lost the next two holes to pars, then halved the fourth by missing an easy putt.

—David Owen

Examples of halve in a Sentence

The store is halving the price of many summer items.

Recent Examples on the Web

But even in its best year, HBO only produced four or five films; since 2020 that number has been halved. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

The rate at which new coins are mined drops around the halving events that happen every four years, with the most recent one in April 2024. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Wells Fargo pointed out that profit margins of S & P 500 companies have nearly doubled over the past 15 years, while net debt to earnings have halved during the same time. —Yun Li, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024

The latest study finds women in particular can nearly halve their risk of major heart problems by adding just under 3.5 minutes of activity throughout the day. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from half half

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhȧv

halved; halving

1

: to divide into two halves

2

: to reduce to one half

halving the cost