half size

American

noun

any size in women's garments designated by a fractional number from 12½ through 24½, designed for a short-waisted, full figure.

half-size British

noun

any size, esp in clothing, that is halfway between two sizes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Neither stymied nor frustrated, the owl’s eyes grew a half size bigger and she let out a squeak of excitement.

From Literature

Important note: The shoes run large, so order a half size down.

From Los Angeles Times

The half size portion includes a sizable amount of neck meat, which is a fully hands-on experience for anyone up for it, but there’s also plenty of boneless slabs for the taking.

From Seattle Times

You may need to go up a half size.

From Washington Post

“My right foot is a half size smaller than my left foot,” I say.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023