Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A British coin worth one half of a new penny.
- n. A British coin worth one half of an old penny, no longer in circulation.
- n. The sum of one half of a penny.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A coin of the value of half a penny, current in the British islands; the value of such coin. The halfpenny was first issued in the reign of Edward I., and was of silver. In the reign of Charles II. copper was used. Since 1860 it has been of bronze.
- n. A small fragment.
- Of the price or value of half a penny; hence, cheap; mean; worthless.
Wiktionary
- n. A discontinued British coin worth half of one penny (old or new).
- n. An quantity of money worth half a penny.
- adj. Costing or worth one halfpenny.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An English coin of the value of half a penny, no longer minted; also, the value of half a penny.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an English coin worth half a penny
Examples
“Ah! God help you, how many bristly beards must I have mowed before I earned four shillings and threepence-halfpenny, which is all thrown to the dogs!”
“In those days a halfpenny was a fortune, and in order to gain it I had not far to stoop, for I was so tiny there was not much distance between me and the ground; but my pride was up in arms, and holding myself very erect, I said, "No, thank you, Mamma, I would rather go without it.”
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
“In those days a halfpenny was a fortune, and in order to gain it I had not far to stoop, for I was so tiny there was not much distance between me and the ground; but my pride was up in arms, and holding myself very erect, I said, “No, thank you, Mamma, I would rather go without it.””
“Two of them, in a scale, weighed down just one copper halfpenny, which is about the third of an ounce avoirdupois: so that I suppose they are the smallest quadrupeds in this island.”
“In those days a halfpenny was a fortune, and in order to gain it I had not far to stoop, for I was so tiny there was not much distance between me and the ground; but my pride was up in arms, and holding myself very erect, I said, "No, thank you,”
“The Libraries Act of 1850 empowered larger local authorities to add a halfpenny to the rate to run a free public library – but not to buy books, or raise the capital to build it.”
The Guardian: Letters: Can philanthropy again come to the help of public libraries?
“Reader Philip Hutchinson remembers four special stamps, costing just a halfpenny less than two shillings.”
“I am not independently wealthy and renaming myself "The Hugs and Snuffles Cats' Home" by deed poll has gained me not a halfpenny in bequests.”
The Guardian: 'Free' healthcare? That has to be the greatest oxymoron of our age | AL Kennedy
“A story can never be too long, for its conclusion is merely to be deplored, like the last halfpenny or the last pipelight.”
“Mother Rogers and Old Squelch are not a bit bigger than two halfpenny candles Briggs is gone to Bedford Jail for setting fire to a Methodist meeting, and Old Mother Robinson run off to Gretney Green with a young fortune hunter!!!”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘halfpenny’.
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justin's Words
braii, boerewors, lekker, viva, pap, lipodystrophy, lacticacidosis, sharp, chakalaka, defaulter, eish, oof and 256 more...
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Coined
cent, penny, nickel, dime, quarter, farthing, shilling, halfpenny, twopence, threepence, sixpence, groat and 91 more...
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