Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Half, (vulgarly pronounced hauf, according to Holophernes, LLL V, 1, 25. Plur. “halves,” Shr. V, 2, 79), subst. one of two equal parts; with the ind. art.: “lacks a h. to pay your debts,” Tim. II, 2, 153. With the def. art.: “I must have the h. of any thing,” Merch. III, 2, 252. “for the h. of my dowry,” Tw. III, 4, 70. “not a horse is h. the h. of himself,” H4A IV, 3, 24. Without art.: “they that lose h.” Lucr. 1158. Wiv. II, 2, 179. LLL V, 2, 246. R2 V, 1, 60 etc. “were h. to h. the world by the ears,” Cor. I, 1, 237. “when h. to h. the world opposed,” Ant. III, 13, 9. “h. of the which,” All's IV, 3, 190. “h. of the number,” Tit. I, 80. With a pers. pron.: “thy h. of the kingdom hast thou not forgot,” Lr. II, 4, 183. I'll be your h. (i. e. share your risk and profit in betting) Shr. V, 2, 78 (cf. Half-part). “unfold to me, your self, your h.” Caes. II, 1, 274, i. e. your wife; cf. “I'll not be your h.” LLL V, 2, 249; and the adj. in Ado II, 3, 177. Preceded by better and best: “the better h. of our possession,” H5 I, 1, 8. “the best h. should have returned to him,” Tim. III, 2, 91. “we have lost best h. of our affair,” Mcb. III, 3, 21. By one, with and without the article; not differing in sense from the simple word: “being but the one h. of an entire sum,” LLL II, 131. “the one h. of my lands,” Shr. II, 122. “thou hast the one h. of my heart,” Wint. I, 2, 348. “take the one h. of my commission,” Cor. IV, 5, 144. “my brother wears thee not the one h. so well as when thou grewest thyself,” Cymb. IV, 2, 202. “one h. of me,” Merch. III, 2, 16. IV, 1, 381. H6A I, 1, 81. Cor. IV, 5, 211. “with one h. so good a grace,” Meas. II, 2, 62. “one h. so bright,” LLL IV, 3, 30. “seize one h. his goods,” Merch. IV, 1, 353 (Q1. Merch. IV, 1, 353 4 on). “this youth I snatched one h. out of the jaws of death,” Tw. III, 4, 394. “the other h.:” Merch. III, 2, 16. IV, 1, 353. Hml. III, 4, 158. “another h.:” H5 I, 2, 113.