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half cent

noun

a bronze coin of the U.S., equal to one-half cent, issued at various periods between 1793 and 1857.

Origin of half cent

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Words nearby half cent

half board, half boot, half brother, half buck, half cadence, half cent, half cock, half crown, half deck, half dime, half dollar

Example sentences from the Web for half cent

Or forty postmarks for a half-cent of any date earlier than 1857.

Harper's Young People, May 3, 1881 |Various
A professor whom I met in Lausanne informed me that it now cost only a half-cent a pound.

The Spell of Switzerland |Nathan Haskell Dole
Only mos' prob'ly Victoria she'd insist on a half-cent limit.

The Virginian |Owen Wister
"It saves the half-cent charged for service," answered the maid.

Abroad with the Jimmies |Lilian Bell

Since we do not have either a half-cent or a 2-cent coin, it has been necessary to substitute postage stamps.

The Measurement of Intelligence |Lewis Madison Terman