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

The medication stops the replication of hepatitis B DNA in the body, halving the risk of liver cancer and other complications. —Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025

The new proposal would roughly halve the company’s original request to hike customer rates by nearly $10 billion over four years, which is believed to be the highest rate hike request in American history. —Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025

That window halves to a six-day warning in Weeks 14-17. —Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025

Whole or halved walnuts are easy to sprinkle on top of oats and salads, or as a nutritious boost for baked treats like brownies. —Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 26 Aug. 2025

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