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halfpenny. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
halfpenny, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
halfpenny in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
halfpenny you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Alternative forms
- (with the first element, half, preserved) halfepenny, halfepeny, halfepenie, halfepenye; halfpenny, halfpeny, halfpenie, halfpenye (all obsolete except halfpenny)
- (with the first element reduced to hal-, ha’, or ha-) halpeny, halpenye, hapeney, ha’penny, hapenny, happenny (all obsolete except ha’penny)
- (with the first element corrupted to haw-) hawpny (dialectal, obsolete)
- (decimal abbreviation) ½p (pre-decimalisation abbreviation) ½d
Etymology
From the Middle English halpeni, either from the late-Old English halpenige or from half + peni. By surface analysis, half + penny and continually reinforced by it.
Pronunciation
Noun
halfpenny (plural halfpennies or halfpence)
- (plural: halfpennies) (historical) A discontinued British coin worth half of one penny (old or new).
- Christmas is coming (traditional carol)
- If you haven't got a penny, / A ha'penny will do, / If you haven't got a ha'penny, / Then God bless you.
- (plural: halfpence) A quantity of money worth half a penny.
c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :There were none principal; they were all like one another as halfpence are; every one fault seeming monstrous till his fellow fault came to match it.
1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair:"If a pound of mutton-candles cost sevenpence-halfpenny, how much must Dobbin cost?"
Derived terms
Translations
British coin worth half of one penny
Adjective
halfpenny (not comparable)
- Costing or worth one halfpenny.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :There shall be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny; the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony to drink small beer.