Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HALF'-PINT, n.

The half of a pint or fourth of a quart. Pope.

HALF'-READ, a.

Superficially informed by reading. Dryden.

HALF'-SCHOL-AR, n.

One imperfectly learned. Watts.

HALF-SEAS-OVER, a. [Half seas over.]

A low expression denoting half-drunk.

HALF'-SHIFT, n.

In playing the violin, a move of the hand a little way upward on the neck of the instrument, to reach a high note.

HALF'-SIGHT-ED, a.

Seeing imperfectly; having weak discernment. Bacon.

HALF'-SPHERE, n.

Hemisphere. B. Jonson.

HALF'-STARV-ED, a.

Almost starved.

HALF'-STRAIN'ED, a.

Half-bred; imperfect. Dryden.

HALF'-SWORD, n.

Within half the length of a sword; close fight. Shak.

HALF'-WAY, a.

Equally distant from the extremes; as, a half-way house.

HALF'-WAY, adv.

In the middle; at half the distance. Granville.

HALF'-WIT, n.

A foolish person; a dolt; a blockhead. Dryden.

HALF'-WIT-TED, a.

Weak in intellect; silly; foolish. Swift.

HAL'I-BUT, n.

A fish of the genus Pleuronectes, and order of Thoracics. This fish has a compressed body, one side resembling the back, the other the belly; and both eyes on the same side of the head. It grows to great size; some to the weight of 300 or 400 pounds. It forms an article of food, and some parts of the body are fat, tender and delicious. This fish swims on its side, and hence the name of the genus. Encyc.

HAL'I-DOM, n. [Sax. haligdome; holy and dom.]

Adjuration by what is holy. [Obs.] Spenser.

HAL'I-MASS, n. [Sax. halig, holy, and mass.]

The feast of All Souls.

HAL'ING, ppr. [See HAULING.]

HA-LIT'U-OUS, a. [L. halitus, breath.]

Like breath; vaporous. [Obs.] Boyle.

HALL, n. [Sax. heal; D. hal or zaal; G. saal; Sw. and Dan. sal; Fr. salle; It. and Sp. sala; L. aula; Gr. αυλη; Sans. aala; Copt. auli; Turk. awli. Qu. Heb. אהל, a tent, Ar. أهَلَ to marry, and to begin housekeeping, or Heb. Ch. and Syr. היבל, a palace. Qu. are these all of one family? See Salt.]

1. In architecture, a large room at the entrance of a house or palace. In the houses of ministers of state, magistrates, &c. it is the place where they give audience and dispatch business. Encyc.
2. An edifice in which courts of justice are held; as Westminster hall, which was originally a royal palace; the kings of England formerly holding their parliaments and courts of judicature in their own dwellings, as is still the practice in Spain. Encyc.
3. A manor-house, in which courts were formerly held. Addison.
4. A college, or large edifice belonging to a collegiate institution.
5. A room for a corporation or public assembly; as, a town-hall; Fanueil Hall in Boston, &c.
6. A collegiate body in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Prideaux.

HAL'LIARD, n. [from hale, haul.]

A rope or tackle for hoisting or lowering a sail. Mar. Dict.

HAL'LI-ER, n.

A particular kind of net for catching birds. Encyc.

HAL-LOO', n.

an exclamation, used as a call to invite attention.

HAL'LOO, v.i. [This seems to belong to the family of call; Fr. haler.]

To cry out; to exclaim with a loud voice; to call to by name, or by the word halloo. Country folks hallooed and hooted after me. Sidney.

HAL'LOO, v.t.

1. To encourage with shouts. Old John hallooes his hounds again. Prior.
2. To chase with shouts. Shak.
3. To call or shout to. Shak. [This verb is regular, and pronounced with the accent on the first syllable.]