half-pint

half-pint — noun

1. a unit of volume equal to half of one pint — about 284 millilitres in Britain an

1.nounB1
Definition

a unit of volume equal to half of one pint — about 284 millilitres in Britain and 237 millilitres in the US — used especially for milk, beer, cider, cream, or other liquids sold in standard measures.

Example

Theo picked up a half-pint of milk from the corner shop on his way to work.

half-pint of [liquid] — standard measure phrase

The recipe calls for a half-pint of single cream, not the double variety.

Common collocations
  • half-pint of milk
  • half-pint of beer
  • half-pint of cream
  • half-pint glass
  • half-pint bottle
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • pint

    double the volume

Usage Note

The actual volume of a half-pint differs between the UK (≈284 ml) and the US (≈237 ml) because a US pint is smaller. In British pubs, a half-pint glass is a common serving size for beer or cider.

2. an insulting or teasing way to refer to a person who is short in height or who s

2.nounB2
Definition

an insulting or teasing way to refer to a person who is short in height or who seems unimportant — often used playfully among friends but can cause offence if used with strangers.

Example

A group of older boys teased Vikram in the schoolyard, calling him a half-pint as he walked past.

calling [someone] a half-pint — mocking nickname pattern

Ananya's uncle chuckled and said, "Come here, half-pint," when his four-year-old niece ran into the room.

affectionate use among family — register softens with context

Common collocations
  • call someone a half-pint
  • teased as a half-pint
  • little half-pint
Synonyms
  • shorty

    slang, similar register but slightly less common

  • shrimp

    slang, also disparaging; compares a person to a small animal

  • runt

    stronger insult, implies a person is the weakest or smallest of a group

Usage Note

This is an informal and potentially offensive term. It is used as a taunt about a person's height or status. Among close friends or family it can be affectionate, but with strangers it is almost always insulting. It is not considered as harsh as some other slurs, but it still shows disrespect.

Common Mistakes

He is a half-pint technician at the lab' (sounds like a label for his job).
The technician is a short man, though his colleagues sometimes jokingly call him a half-pint.
the term is a nickname or taunt, not a neutral description of a person's role.

half-pint — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Half-pint, shorty, shrimp, and runt are all informal terms for a short person, but they carry different tones. Half-pint borrows from the literal measurement and sounds mildly teasing rather than deeply cruel, though it can still offend. Shorty is very common in casual American slang and can be neutral or even affectionate ('What's up, shorty?'), but it depends heavily on the relationship between speakers. Shrimp compares a person to a very small sea creature and feels more insulting because it dehumanises the target. Runt is the harshest of the four — it originally refers to the smallest animal in a litter and implies weakness or inferiority, not just short height. A teacher might stop a student from calling a classmate a runt but tolerate half-pint as less aggressive. In practice, none of these words should be used with strangers; even among friends, it is wise to know how the other person feels about their height.

shorty ↗shrimp ↗runthalf-pint ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinFrenchEnglish

Half-pint is a compound word formed in English from 'half' (Old English 'healf', meaning one of two equal parts) and 'pint' (from Middle French 'pinte', ultimately from Latin 'pincta', meaning painted or marked — referring to a painted mark on a container showing the measure). The literal use meaning 'half a pint' dates back to the 17th century, and the figurative use for a short person appeared in the early 20th century, especially in informal American English.