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

That's three times Saline County's library levy and five times Craighead County's, which residents halved in 2022. — Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026

This would halve the ceiling for what the state government can charge individuals and corporations through income taxes. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2026

Schlieder shared that the machine nearly halves analysis time without sacrificing accuracy. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

Add more oil if pot looks dry; arrange 2 large oranges and/or lemons, halved, and 2 heads of garlic, tops trimmed to expose cloves, cut side down in pot and add 3 large shallots, peeled. — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from half half

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for halve

• calve
• have
• nav
• mohave

Kids Definition

halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhȧv

halved; halving

1

: to divide into two halves

2

: to reduce to one half

halving the cost