halve

[/hæv/ or /hɑːv/]
verb
dividir pela metade
1. to divide something into two equal parts
Please halve the recipe since we only have four guests.
Por favor, divida a receita pela metade já que temos apenas quatro convidados.
2. to reduce something to half of its original amount or size
The company decided to halve its workforce due to budget cuts.
A empresa decidiu reduzir seu quadro de pessoal pela metade devido aos cortes orçamentários.
3. to become half of what it was
The price of gas halved after the new oil discovery.
O preço da gasolina caiu pela metade após a descoberta do novo poço de petróleo.
In both American and Brazilian English, 'halve' is commonly used in cooking contexts (halving recipes), business discussions (halving budgets or workforces), and mathematical/scientific contexts. In Brazil, the phrase 'dividir pela metade' is more frequently used in everyday conversation, while 'halve' appears more often in formal or technical writing.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
bisectdivide in twocut in halfreduce by half
Antonyms / Antônimos
doubleduplicatemultiply

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
dividir pela metade; reduzir à metade
Standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
dividir na metade; cortar na metade
More colloquial variation
São Paulo
dividir pela metade; reduzir pela metade
Formal business usage common in corporate context
Portugal
dividir em duas partes iguais; reduzir a metade
Slightly more formal phrasing preferred

Related Words

halfhalfwayhalvedhalvingdivide

Related Idioms & Phrases

halve the difference - find a compromise between two positions
halve one's efforts - reduce the amount of work or commitment
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