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Half vs Over - What's the difference?

half | over |

As adjectives the difference between half and over

is that half is consisting of a moiety, or half (1/2, 50%) while over is finished; ended or concluded.

As adverbs the difference between half and over

is that half is in two equal parts or to an equal degree; in some part approximating a half; partially; imperfectly while over is thoroughly; completely; from beginning to end.

As nouns the difference between half and over

is that half is one of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided; — sometimes followed by of; as, a half of an apple while over is a set of six legal balls bowled.

As prepositions the difference between half and over

is that half is a half-hour after, thirty minutes after used with the number of the hour while over is physical positioning.

As a verb half

is to halve.

As an interjection over is

in radio communications: end of sentence, ready to receive reply.

half

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Consisting of a moiety, or half (1/2, 50%).
  • a half''' bushel''; ''a '''half''' hour''; ''a '''half''' dollar''; ''a '''half view
  • Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
  • a half''' dream''; '''''half knowledge
  • * :
  • Assumed from thence a half consent.
  • (of a sibling) Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
  • A (half brother) or (half sister)
  • Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
  • A (half uncle) or (half aunt) or (half cousin)
  • (UK, time) Half an hour after the time given; half past.
  • We went to bed at half ten.

    Usage notes

    * The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound.

    Synonyms

    * hemi-, semi-, demi-

    Derived terms

    * half ape * half back * half bent * half binding * half boarder * half-breadth plan * half brother * half cadence * half cap * half cock * half cocked * half hitch * half hose * half-life * Half Life * half measure * half-moon * half note * half page * half pay * half price * half round * half shift * half sister * half step * half tide * half time * half tint * half truth * half year

    Adverb

    (-)
  • In two equal parts or to an equal degree; in some part approximating a half; partially; imperfectly
  • half'''-colored''; '''''half''' done''; '''''half'''-hearted''; '''''half''' persuaded''; '''''half conscious
  • * :
  • Half' loth and ' half consenting.
  • * Nehemiah 13:24 :
  • Their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod.

    Noun

    (halves)
  • One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided; — sometimes followed by of; as, a half of an apple.
  • You don't know the half of it.
  • * (rfdate), :
  • Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
  • * (rfdate), :
  • A friendship so complete Portioned in halves between us
  • # (sports) One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 16, author=Ben Dirs, title=Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan, work=BBC Sport citation
  • , passage=However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.}}
  • Half of a standard measure; frequently used (British) for half a pint of beer or cider.
  • * 1968 (British), John Braine, The Crying Game , Houghton Mifflin, p. 11,
  • He came back with a pint of Guinness for me and a half of bitter for Wendy.
  • * 1974 (British), James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful , St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0312020309,
  • I accepted a half of bitter from him.
  • * 2006 (British), Bill Appleton, Wide Boy , Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie, ISBN 1843862530, p. 168,
  • I went to the bar where I bought a pint and two large brandies. ... "Not brandy," she replied, "but I could use a long drink - maybe a half of lager."
  • The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
  • Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half .
  • (obsolete) part; side; behalf
  • * (rfdate), Wyclif
  • *:
  • * (rfdate), :
  • The four halves of the house

    Synonyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * better half * by halves * cry halves * go halves * half a loaf is better than none * half and half * in half * in one's half * know the half of * not half * not half bad * other half * too clever by half

    Verb

  • To halve.
  • Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • a half-hour after, thirty minutes after (used with the number of the hour)
  • half one — half past one, 1:30

    See also

    * half-

    References

    *

    over

    English

    (wikipedia over)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Finished; ended or concluded.
  • The show is over .

    Derived terms

    *

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Thoroughly; completely; from beginning to end.
  • * 1661 , , The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
  • During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant
  • From an upright position to being horizontal.
  • Horizontally; left to right or right to left.
  • From one position or state to another.
  • Overnight (throughout the night).
  • Again; another time; once more; over again.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (cricket) A set of six legal balls bowled.
  • Any surplus amount of money, goods delivered, etc.
  • * 2008 , G. Puttick, Sandy van Esch, The Principles and Practice of Auditing (page 609)
  • ...standard cash count forms used to record the count and any overs or unders.

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Physical positioning.
  • # On top of; above; higher than; further up.
  • #* (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) (1807-1882)
  • Over them gleamed far off the crimson banners of morning.
  • #* {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author=(Henry Petroski)
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= The Evolution of Eyeglasses , passage=The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,
  • # Across or spanning.
  • #* (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
  • Certain lakespoison birds which fly over them.
  • #* , chapter=3
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.}}
  • #* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= A punch in the gut , passage=Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}
  • # In such a way as to cover.
  • # From one physical position to another via an obstacle that must be traversed vertically, first upwards and then downwards.
  • By comparison.
  • # More than; to a greater degree.
  • # Beyond; past; exceeding; too much or too far.
  • # (label) As compared to.
  • (label) Divided by.
  • Finished with; done with; from one state to another via a hindrance that must be solved or defeated; or via a third state that represents a significant difference from the first two.
  • While]] using, (especially) while [[consume, consuming.
  • * 1990 , (Seymour Chatman), Coming to Terms , , ISBN 0801497361, page 100[http://books.google.com/books?id=loD1JXOtmTYC&pg=PA100&dq=relax]:
  • Six diners in business clothes—five attractive young women and a balding middle-aged man—relax over cigarettes.
  • * 1998 , Marian Swerdlow, Underground Woman , , ISBN 1566396107, page 88 [http://books.google.com/books?id=jIK3DGkOwYkC&pg=PA88&dq=croissants]:
  • Sunday had been my favorite day at Woodlawn. A long W.A.A. [="work as assigned" period], having coffee and croissants with Mark over the Sunday Times .
  • * 2009 , Sara Pennypacker, The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery , , ISBN 9780545207867, page 79:
  • Over meatloaf and mashed potatoes (being careful not to talk with his mouth full), Stanley told about his adventure.
  • Concerning or regarding.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Can China clean up fast enough? , passage=It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.}}
  • Above, implying superiority after a contest; in spite of; notwithstanding.
  • Usage notes

    When used in the context of "from one location to another", over'' implies that the two places are at approximately the same height or the height difference is not relevant. For example, if two offices are on the same floor of a building, an office worker might say ''I'll bring that over''' for you'', while if the offices were on different floors, the sentence would likely be ''I'll bring that up [down] for you.'' However, distances are not constrained, e.g. ''He came '''over''' from England last year and now lives in Los Angeles'' or ''I moved the stapler '''over to the other side of my desk.

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • In radio communications: end of sentence, ready to receive reply.
  • How do you receive? Over !

    References

    * Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "The semantic network for over''", in ''The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

    Statistics

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