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half-holiday

half-holiday

1 4.1
A day when people do not work for half the usual time
  • noun
  • /ˈhæfˈhɒləˌdeɪ/
  • UK
translation icon : medio día libre
  • He must have given himself a half-holiday, mission accomplished by noon, and nothing else to do so close to nowhere.

Examples

  • On Saturdays, many companies allow their employees to take a half-holiday to relax and recharge.

  • A Wednesday afternoon, our half-holiday at school.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • WA &B also got the reputation for being the first industry in America to adopt half holidays on Saturday afternoons.

    Blog text (29)
  • We enjoyed a half-holiday at school, allowing us to play in the park all afternoon.

  • Since it was a half-holiday, the office closed early, and everyone was excited to start their weekend.

How Long

holiday
  • UK
627 1.0
day off
283 1.1
half-holiday
  • UK
1 4.1
break
1.0

Surface Forms

half-holiday singular
half-holidays plural

Morphology

half-holiday = half + holiday (transparent) = half + holiday

The meaning is the straightforward combination 'half' + 'holiday' meaning a holiday for half the usual time; learners who know both words can easily infer this.

Etymology

The word half-holiday joins half- 'half' and holiday 'a day free from work', and holiday originally meant 'holy day'. So a half-holiday is a 'half' day when you are free from work or duty.