half brother
See also: halfbrother and half-brother
English
Alternative forms
- half-brother, halfbrother
Etymology
From Middle English half-brother, equivalent to half- + brother. Cognate with Dutch halfbroer (“halfbrother”), German Halbbruder (“halfbrother”), Danish halvbroder (“halfbrother”), Swedish halvbroder, halvbror (“halfbrother”), Icelandic hálfbróðir (“halfbrother”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌhæfˈbɹʌðɚ/
Noun
half brother (plural half brothers or half brethren)
- A male sibling sharing a single parent, as distinguished from a full brother or brother-german, from a step-brother, or from a brother-like figure such as a blood brother.
Hypernyms
- relative; sibling; half sibling, half-sibling
Hyponyms
- (a half-brother sharing the same mother): uterine brother; maternal half brother, maternal half-brother
- (a half-brother sharing the same father): paternal half-brother
Derived terms
- half brother-in-law
Related terms
- half cousin, half-cousin
- half sister, half-sister
- half uncle, half-uncle
Translations
male half-sibling
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son of the same mother but a different father
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son of the same father but a different mother
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See also
- stepbrother