halfpennies

Noun

halfpenny (plural halfpennies or halfpence)

1. (UK, also, attributive, historical) A discontinued English (later British) coin worth half of one penny (old or new).
   • There vvere none principal, they vvere all like one another, as halfe pence are, euerie one fault ſeeming monſtrous, til his fellovv-fault came to match it.c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...

   Synonyms:

   ½d, ½p

2. (Ireland, Scotland, also, attributive, broadly, historical) A similar coin formerly used in Ireland and Scotland.
3. (UK, also, attributive, historical) An amount of money that the English (later British) coin was worth.
   • There ſhall be in England, ſeuen halfe peny Loaues ſold for a peny: the three hoop'd pot, ſhall haue ten hoopes, and I vvill make it Fellony to drink ſmall Beere.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
4. (Ireland, Scotland, also, attributive, broadly, historical) An amount of money that the Irish or Scottish coin was worth.
5. (broadly, historical) A postage stamp worth half of one penny.
6. (Australia, US, archaic, broadly) A usually semicircular earmark made in the ear of a livestock animal.

See all 8 meanings of halfpenny