English
Alternative forms
ha'penny
Pronunciation
IPA|/�heɪp�ni/, SAMPA|/"heIp@ni/ or IPA|/�heɪpni/, SAMPA|/"heIpni/
audio|en-uk-halfpenny.ogg|Audio (UK) direct, non-slang pronunciation without reduction
Noun
halfpenny (see senses for plurals)
#(plural: halfpennies) 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) An quantity of money worth half a penny.
#*1599, William Shakespeare, As You Like It (act III, scene 2)
#*: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?"
Adjective
halfpenny notcomp
#Costing or worth one halfpenny.
#*1594, William Shakespeare, King Henry VI, Part 2 (act IV, scene 2)
#*: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.
fr:halfpenny
vi:halfpenny
zh:halfpenny
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