Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb idiomatic, colloquial : To take a
premature or ill-considered action.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb act prematurely or without reflection or too soon
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From the days of flintlock and caplock firearms, where the half-cock position of the hammer was both a rudimentary safety, and the proper position for priming the pan or inserting a percussion cap. The phrase was originally rendered, "to go off at half-cock."
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Examples
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