half the breadth

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "half the breadth" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where you are describing a measurement or dimension that is equal to 50% of a given breadth. Example: "The fabric should be cut to half the breadth of the original piece to ensure it fits the design."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

At the cutting edge of work being carried out at the Hamlyn Centre in Imperial College, a lab which develops technologies for use in healthcare, is a clasping hand which is little more than half the breadth of a hair.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The half value breadth increased with number of stress cycles before final fracture.

International Journal of Fatigue

Using the well-known Scherrer equation, the sizes of magnetite nanoparticles (D, nm) were estimated based on the breadth at half-peak height of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) line corresponding to (311) reflections for the freshly prepared and modified SCWA samples (Table 4).

Nanoscale Research Letters

The peaks position and half peak breadth of XRD are in concordance with those measured in GCs, which indicates that nano-particles are released from glass matrix to aqueous solution.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Figure 5 shows the half-height breadth in elevation plotted against that in azimuth.

Plosone

On my way to the post office one morning, I walked the breadth of Boulder's dwellings and fields in half an hour.

The New York Times - Style

The half day allocated for the training was regarded as limited given the breadth of content and complexity of some material.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

For example an area of a triangle (1/2 breadth x height) has 3 hand gestures - for 1/2 use one hand sideways to cut the other hand's palm in half, for breadth put your palms together and move them apart horizontally, for height put your hands together one on top of the other and move them apart vertically.

WikiHow

Nearly half of the ANMCs responding served clients of all ages, with services representing the breadth of primary care (i.e., health maintenance and management of minor acute and common chronic illnesses).

Journal of Professional Nursing

The breadth of the scaled structure function, measured by the full width at half maximum, vs the equilibrium volume fraction agrees very well with the computer simulation of Akaiwa and Voorhees.

Acta Materialia

Where's the breadth?

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing physical objects or spaces, use "half the breadth" to precisely indicate a measurement that is 50% of the total breadth. For example, "Cut the fabric to "half the breadth" to ensure it fits within the frame."

Common error

Avoid using "half the breadth" when referring to abstract concepts where "breadth" implies scope or variety. Instead, consider alternatives like "limited scope" or "narrow range" to maintain clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half the breadth" functions as a determiner phrase, specifying a particular dimension or measurement. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a usable expression. Examples show its application in describing physical dimensions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "half the breadth" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in English, primarily functioning to denote a specific dimension or measurement that is 50% of the overall breadth. As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is correct and usable. Although the phrase is not frequently used, appearing most often in scientific and news contexts, it serves a precise purpose in describing physical dimensions. When writing, it's crucial to ensure the context aligns with the intended meaning of specifying a proportional size, avoiding its use in abstract or metaphorical senses where alternative expressions may be more suitable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

half the width

Replaces "breadth" with "width", a synonym referring to the measurement of something from side to side.

half of the width

Adds "of" for a slightly different phrasing while maintaining the same meaning as "half the width".

half the span

Substitutes "breadth" with "span", indicating the extent or range of something.

one-half the breadth

Uses "one-half" instead of "half", providing a more formal tone.

50% of the breadth

Expresses the same measurement using a percentage.

half the distance

Replaces "breadth" with "distance", focusing on the space between two points.

half of its breadth

Specifies possession using "its", implying a particular object's dimension.

half the dimension

Replaces "breadth" with the more general term "dimension".

a breadth of half

Inverts the phrase to emphasize the extent, less common construction.

half the reach

Replaces "breadth" with "reach", indicating how far something extends.

FAQs

How can I use "half the breadth" in a sentence?

Use "half the breadth" to specify a measurement equal to 50% of the full breadth. For example, "The image was cropped to "half the breadth" to focus on the main subject."

What are some alternatives to saying "half the breadth"?

Alternatives include "half the width", "50 percent of the breadth", or "one-half the breadth", depending on the context and desired level of formality.

Is it correct to say "one-half the breadth" instead of "half the breadth"?

Yes, "one-half the breadth" is a grammatically correct and more formal way of saying "half the breadth". Both phrases have the same meaning.

What is the difference between "half the breadth" and "half the length"?

"Half the breadth" refers to 50% of the width, while "half the length" refers to 50% of the length. Use the appropriate phrase based on which dimension you are describing.