half-dollar

noun

half-dol·​lar ˈhaf-ˈdä-lər How to pronounce half-dollar (audio)
ˈhäf-
1
: a coin representing one half of a dollar
2
: the sum of 50 cents

Examples of half-dollar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Mint began selling coins — $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins — to commemorate Tubman. Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024 On one hand, the California Air Resources Board is quietly on the verge of adopting a regulation that could make pump prices soar by nearly a half-dollar a gallon — or even much more — as detailed in a Times story by reporter Russ Mitchell. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024 Winds up to 60 mph and half-dollar hail is also possible in La Junta, Rocky Ford and Swink, according to the agency. Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 14 June 2024 The wearable reader is a magnetic-signal transmitter-receiver about the size of a stack of three or four American Kennedy half-dollars or E.U. 10 Euro collector coins. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2024 Commemorative Tubman coins – $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins – were available for preorder starting Thursday and would begin shipping in February, USM announced. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 Since then, commemoratives also have been minted, with the Kennedy half-dollar ranking as a most popular item. Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 10 Aug. 2023 Bob finished his coffee and left a half-dollar tip. Tom Hanks, Harper's Magazine, 5 Jan. 2023 Liu tells me that spotting nano-defects on a chip is like spotting a half-dollar on the moon from your backyard. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-dollar was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near half-dollar

Cite this Entry

“Half-dollar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-dollar. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

half-dollar

noun
half-dol·​lar
-ˈdäl-ər
1
: a coin representing one half of a dollar
2
: the sum of fifty cents
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!