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Glite Dictionary
half a mo

half a mo

1 9.6
A very short time, like a few moments
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : un momento
  • I'll be back in half a mo.

Examples

Synonyms

second
vshalf a mo
  • Informal
543 1.0

A very short time

is more casual and less formal than this straightforward measure
just a minute
vshalf a mo
198 1.0

Ask someone to wait for a very short time

serves as a simple label for a short time, not a request
split second
vshalf a mo
43 2.5

A very short moment when something happens

is a general brief moment, not always as instantaneous
mo
vshalf a mo
  • UK
35 9.9

A very short time, like a moment, used in informal speech

is the standard way to name a brief moment without slang
wink
vshalf a mo
  • Informal
22 4.9

A very short time like a moment

means a short moment but can be less extreme in brevity
New York minute
vshalf a mo
  • Informal
5 7.2

A very short moment when something happens

is a plain expression for a short time without idiom or culture
mos
vshalf a mo
  • UK
9.6

A very short time, for example a few seconds

is the neutral phrase for a brief moment rather than informal slang
for a mo
vshalf a mo
  • UK
9.8

For a short time

names a short moment more generally without the casual nuance
in a mo
vshalf a mo
  • UK
8.8

It will happen very soon

describes a short time span rather than a soonness promise

Antonyms

long time
∞ 1.0

A period lasting many days or years

eternity
224 5.8

Time that never ends, often imagined after death

How Long

long time
∞ 1.0
while
∞ 1.0
moment
∞ 1.0
half a mo
  • UK
1 9.6
instant
232 1.0

Surface Forms

half a mo singular
half a mos plural

Morphology

half + a + mo

The meaning 'a very short amount of time' is directly compositional from 'half' + 'a' + 'mo' (with 'mo' = moment), so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer 'half a moment'. Although colloquial and contracted, it follows the regular quantifier + noun pattern common across languages, making the sense immediately derivable for a B1 learner who knows 'mo'.

Etymology

The phrase half a mo comes from shortening half a moment, with mo as a quick way to say 'moment'. That's why it means 'a very short time'.