halfpenny
See also: Halfpenny
English
Alternative forms
- (with the first element, half, preserved) halfepenny, halfepeny, halfepenie, halfepenye; , 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
- IPA(key): /ˈheɪp(ə)ni/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhɑːfˌpɛni/ (spelling pronunciation)
Audio (Received Pronunciation, spelling pronunciation): (file) Audio (General American); /ˈheɪpni/: (file)
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.
- Christmas is coming (traditional carol)
- (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- 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
- bord halfpenny
- halfpenny farthing
- halfpenny of gold
- halfpenny under the hat
- halfpennyworth
- have one’s hand on another halfpenny
- have one’s heart on one’s halfpenny
- not a halfpenny the worse
- penny halfpenny, a
- shove halfpenny
- three halfpence
- twopenny-halfpenny
Translations
British coin worth half of one penny
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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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- 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.