half-masters

A n. (pl. halves)

1 metà; mezzo: ( The) half of eight is four, la metà di otto è quattro; Two halves make a whole, due mezzi fanno un intero; in half, a metà: She cut the apple in half, ha tagliato la mela a metà; He wants half (of) the money [the profits], vuole la metà del denaro [dei profitti]; Half (of) the people I met, la metà della gente che incontrai; The film isn't half as good as the original play, il film non è bello neanche la metà (o vale molto meno) della commedia originale; the latter half, la seconda metà

2 ( calcio, rugby, ecc., = halfback) mediano; laterale; giocatore di fascia

3 (fam., = half-pint) mezza pinta: A half of bitter, please!, mezza pinta di birra amara, per favore!

4 ( fino al 1985; halfpenny) mezzo penny

5 semestre ( mezzo anno scolastico, finanziario, ecc.)

6 ( sport) tempo: first [second] half, primo [secondo] tempo: DIALOGO → - Discussing football- They played okay in the first half, hanno giocato bene nel primo tempo NOTA D'USO: - time e tempo-

7 ( sport) metà campo: to receive the ball in one's own half, ricevere un passaggio nella propria metà campo

8 ( sport: calcio, ecc.) girone: first half of the football season, girone di andata del campionato di calcio

9 (trasp.) biglietto a metà prezzo ( per bambini e cani)

B a.

1 mezzo; semi-; (la) metà (di): a half length, una mezza lunghezza; a half share, una mezza parte; una metà; half a pound, mezza libbra; half an hour [a mile], mezz'ora [mezzo miglio]; a half-hour [half-mile, half-day], mezz'ora [mezzo miglio, mezza giornata]; He wastes half his time, spreca metà del suo tempo; half lustre, semilucido

2 incompleto; imperfetto; (fatto) a metà; mezzo: a half smile, un mezzo sorriso

3 (fam., dicendo le ore) e mezza: half eight [nine], le otto [nove] e mezza

C avv.

1 a mezzo; a metà; mezzo: The chicken was only half cooked, il pollo era cotto soltanto a metà; half dead, mezzo (o quasi) morto; stanco morto; half educated, che ha poca istruzione; (fam.) I was half convinced, ero mezzo convinto; half past two [three], le due [le tre] e mezza

2 (fam.) fino a un certo punto; quasi: I half wish I had gone with them, vorrei quasi essere andato con loro

● ( un tempo) half a crown, mezza corona (1/8 di sterlina) □ half-and-half, (agg.) mezz'e mezzo; (avv.) metà e metà; (sost.) (arc.) miscela di birra chiara e birra scura; ( USA) miscela di latte e panna □ (scherz.) bisessuale □ half-and-half policy, politica delle mezze misure (o del compromesso) □ (geom.) half-angle, semiangolo □ (volg. ingl.) half-arsed, incompetente, inefficiente, mediocre; goffo, malfatto □ half as much, la metà: He ate half as much as me, ha mangiato la metà di me □ half as much again, una volta e mezza; il 50% in più: Our company produces half as much again as our main rival, la produzione della nostra azienda è una volta e mezza quella della nostra maggiore concorrente □ (volg. USA) half-assed = half-arsed ► sopra □ half-baked, cotto a metà, mezzo crudo; (fig.) incompleto; difettoso; immaturo; sciocco: a half-baked scheme, un piano incompleto (o che non sta in piedi); half-baked ideas, idee sciocche □ half-ball ( stroke), ( biliardo) colpo a mezza bilia; ( golf, ecc.) colpo a mezza palla □ half-binding, rilegatura in mezza pelle (o in mezza tela) □ half-blood, parentela (o parente) per parte di un solo genitore; (antiq. o offensivo) meticcio, meticcia; ( di cavallo) mezzosangue □ half-blooded, parente per parte di un solo genitore; ( d'uomo, antiq. o offensivo) di razza mista; ( d'animale) ibrido, bastardo □ ( sport: a Oxford e Cambridge) half-blue, sostituto, rimpiazzo □ (tur.) half board, mezza pensione: half-board accommodation, sistemazione a mezza pensione □ half-boot, stivaletto; stivale al polpaccio □ ( di libro) half-bound, rilegato in mezza pelle (o in mezza tela) □ half-bred, di sangue misto; meticcio, bastardo □ (antiq. o offensivo) half-breed, persona di sangue misto; meticcio, meticcia □ half-brother, fratellastro □ (antiq. o offensivo) half-caste, (sost.) persona di sangue misto; meticcio, meticcia; (agg.) di sangue misto, meticcio □ (fon.) half-closed, semichiuso □ (mil.) half cock, mezzo cane, cane alzato per metà ( d'arma da fuoco): to go off at half cock (o half-cocked) sparare a mezzo cane; (fig.) scattare anzitempo, agire o parlare troppo presto (e fallire) □ half-cocked, ( d'arma da fuoco) a mezzo cane; (fig.) prematuro, avventato; male preparato; goffo; sciocco □ half-cooked, mezzo cotto □ ( basket, tennis, ecc.) half-court line, linea di metà campo □ ( un tempo) half crown = half a crown ► sopra □ ( nelle corse) half distance, metà gara □ ( pallanuoto) half distance line, linea di metà campo □ half dollar, ( USA) mezzo dollaro □ half (a) dozen, mezza dozzina; ( per indicare genericamente un numero esiguo anche) cinque o sei □ half-duplex, (telef.) semiduplex; (comput.) half-duplex ( comunicazione che avviene in un solo verso alla volta) □ (ferr., ecc.) half-fare ticket, biglietto a tariffa ridotta □ half-finished, finito a metà □ (ind.) half-finished product, (prodotto) semilavorato □ half-grown, a metà dello sviluppo □ (bot.) half-hardy ► hardy (1) □ half-hearted, fiacco; flebile; tiepido (fig.); poco convinto; svogliato: a half-hearted attempt, un fiacco (o timido) tentativo; un tentativo poco convinto □ half-heartedly, con scarso entusiasmo; svogliatamente; con scarsa convinzione □ half-heartedness, mancanza di entusiasmo; fiacchezza; scarsa convinzione □ (naut.) half-hitch, mezzo collo ( nodo) □ half-holiday, mezza festa □ half-hose, calza corta; calzino □ half-hourly, (agg.) di mezzora; che avviene (passa, ecc.) ogni mezzora; (avv.) ogni mezzora □ half-inch, mezzo pollice (misura inglese di lunghezza: cfr. inch /1/, def. 1) □ half-length, di metà lunghezza; ( di quadro) a mezzo busto; (sost.) mezza figura, mezzobusto □ half-lie, mezza bugia □ (scient.) half-life, tempo di dimezzamento; emivita; semivita □ half-light, mezza luce; semioscurità; penombra □ (geom.) half-line, semiretta □ ( sport) half-marathon, mezza maratona □ half mast, posizione di mezz'asta ( di una bandiera): at half-mast, a mezz'asta; (GB scherz.) (di cravatta, ecc.) penzolante □ ( di bandiera) half-mast high, a mezz'asta □ (fam.) half-masters, calzoni a mezza gamba; calzoni che si sono fatti corti □ half measures, mezze misure; compromessi □ half moon, mezza luna; (astron.) semilunio; ( per estens.) oggetto a mezzaluna □ half-moon, (fatto) a mezzaluna □ half mourning, mezzo lutto □ half-naked, seminudo □ (mus., USA) half-note, minima □ (fam.) the half of it, metà della storia: That is only the half of it, questa è solo metà della storia; But you don't know the half of it, ma questa non è che una parte della storia; ma questo è solo l'inizio □ (fon.) half-open, semiaperto □ (ind., mil.) half pay, mezza paga □ half pint, mezza pinta; (fig. fam.) tappo, mezza tacca, mezza cartuccia □ ( sport) half-pipe ► half pipe □ (geom.) half-plane, semipiano □ half-price, a metà prezzo □ (scult.) half-relief, mezzorilievo □ ( poesia) half-rhyme, rima imperfetta □ (fam. antiq.) half-seas-over, brillo; mezzo ubriaco □ half-sibling, fratellastro; sorellastra □ half-sister, sorellastra □ half-size, ( di capo di vestiario) mezza taglia; ( di scarpa) mezza misura □ half-slip, sottogonna □ half sole, soprassuola □ (stor.) half-sovereign, mezza sovrana ( moneta d'oro ingl.) □ (naut.) half speed ahead!, avanti a mezza forza! □ ( USA) half staff = half mast ► sopra □ (mus., USA) half-step, semitono □ (in GB) half term (= half-term holiday), breve vacanza di metà quadrimestre ( a scuola) □ (archit.) half-timbered, in legno e muratura ( come una casa elisabettiana) □ half-time, orario ridotto ( di lavoro); ( sport) intervallo ( fra due tempi di una partita), «metà partita»: half-time score, punteggio alla fine del primo tempo □ a half-time job, un lavoro «part time»; un lavoro a mezza giornata □ half-timer, chi lavora a mezza giornata; studente lavoratore □ (tipogr.) half-title, occhiello □ half-tone ► halftone □ (spec. mil.) half-track, semicingolato (sost.) □ (spec. mil.) half-tracked, semicingolato (agg.) □ half-truth, mezza verità □ ( sport) half volley, demi-volée; mezza volée □ half-wit, stupido, idiota, imbecille; (psic.) frenastenico □ half-witted, stupido, scemo; (psic.) frenastenico □ half year, semestre □ half-yearly, semestrale; semestralmente □ (fam.) and a half, non plus ultra: That was a party and a half, questa sì che è stata una festa! □ at half strength, (mil. e sport) a ranghi dimezzati; ( anche) diluito al 50% □ (scherz.) one's better half, la propria (dolce) metà ( la moglie o il marito) □ by half, a metà; della metà; (fam., GB) ( con disapprovazione) di gran lunga; davvero: We are planning to reduce fees by half, progettiamo di ridurre le tariffe della metà (o di dimezzare le tariffe); He's too talkative by half, è davvero troppo loquace □ to cry halves, reclamare la metà (di qc.) □ to go halves (o half and half), fare metà e metà; ( nel pagare il conto) fare alla romana; DIALOGO → - Wrong bill- Let's go halves on the bill, facciamo alla romana □ more than half, una buona metà □ (fam.) not half, affatto, del tutto, moltissimo; ( anche) per niente: not half bad, niente male (fam.); ottimo, eccellente; It isn't half windy, altro che se tira vento!; «Did you like the film?» «Not half», «T'è piaciuto il film?» «Eccome!» (o «Altro che!») □ not to do anything (o things) by halves, non lasciare le cose a metà; fare le cose perbene □ (trasp.: negli orari) on the half hour, ogni mezzora; ai trenta (all'1.30, 2.30, ecc.) □ one's other half = one's better half ► sopra □ (prov.) Half a loaf is better than no bread, bisogna prendere quello che passa il convento; qualcosa è meglio di niente □ (prov.) Well begun is half done, chi ben comincia è alla metà dell'opera.

1) сошедший с ума, помешанный, безумный, спятивший, рехнувшийся

2) (with smth.) как безумный, обезумевший, вне себя (от чего-л.)

early ['ɜ:lɪ]

matinal ⇒ 1 (a) premier ⇒ 1 (b) en avance ⇒ 1 (c), 2 (c) de bonne heure ⇒ 1 (c), 2 (a), 2 (c) précoce ⇒ 1 (d)

(compar earlier, superl earliest)

1 adjective

(a) (morning) matinal;

∎ I had an early breakfast j'ai déjeuné de bonne heure;

∎ to get off to an early start partir de bonne heure;

∎ the early shuttle to London le premier avion pour Londres;

∎ it's too early to get up il est trop tôt pour se lever;

∎ it's earlier than I thought il est plus tôt que je ne pensais;

∎ to be an early riser être matinal ou un lève-tôt;

∎ very early in the morning très tôt;

∎ early morning call appel m matinal;

∎ could you give me an early call at 6:30? pouvez-vous me réveiller à 6 heures 30?;

∎ early morning tea thé m du matin;

∎ early morning walk promenade f matinale

(b) (belonging to the beginning of a period of time → machine, film, poem) premier; (→ Edwardian, Victorian etc) du début de l'époque;

∎ in the early afternoon/spring/fifties au début de l'après-midi/du printemps/des années cinquante;

∎ in the early nineteenth century au début du XIXème siècle;

∎ the earlier applicants were better than the later ones les premiers candidats étaient meilleurs que les derniers;

∎ when was that? - early September quand était-ce? - début septembre;

∎ from the earliest days of the century depuis le tout début du siècle;

∎ British it's early days yet (difficult to be definite) il est trop tôt pour se prononcer; (might yet be worse, better) il est encore tôt;

∎ from the earliest times depuis le début des temps;

∎ I need an early night je dois me coucher de bonne heure;

∎ a couple of early nights wouldn't do you any harm cela ne te ferait pas de mal de te coucher de bonne heure pendant quelques jours;

∎ it's too early to tell il est trop tôt pour se prononcer, on ne peut encore rien dire;

∎ the earliest human artefacts les premiers objets fabriqués par l'homme;

∎ the early Roman Empire l'Empire romain naissant;

∎ an early 18th-century form of democracy une forme de démocratie propre au début du XVIIIème siècle;

∎ the early American settlers les premiers pionniers américains;

∎ an early Picasso une des premières œuvres de Picasso;

∎ he's in his early twenties il a une vingtaine d'années;

∎ in his early youth quand il était très jeune;

∎ a man in early middle age un homme d'une quarantaine d'années;

∎ from an early age dès l'enfance;

∎ at an early age de bonne heure, très jeune;

∎ he received his early education in Paris il reçut sa première éducation à Paris;

∎ my earliest recollections mes souvenirs les plus lointains;

∎ early reports from the front indicate that… les premières nouvelles du front semblent indiquer que…;

∎ in the early stages of the project dans une phase initiale du projet

(c) (ahead of time)

∎ to be early (person, train, flight, winter) être en avance;

∎ I am half an hour early je suis en avance d'une demi-heure;

∎ let's have an early lunch déjeunons de bonne heure;

∎ you're too early vous arrivez trop tôt, vous êtes en avance;

∎ Easter is early this year Pâques est de bonne heure cette année

(d) (premature) précoce, hâtif; (death) prématuré;

∎ early beans haricots mpl de primeur;

∎ early vegetables/fruit/produce primeurs fpl;

∎ we're having an early winter l'hiver est précoce

(e) (relating to the future → reply) prochain;

∎ at an early date de bonne heure;

∎ at an earlier date plus tôt;

∎ we need an early meeting il faut que nous nous réunissions bientôt;

∎ Commerce at your earliest convenience dans les meilleurs délais;

∎ what is your earliest possible delivery date? quelle est votre première possibilité de livraison?;

∎ give us the earliest possible notice avertissez-nous le plus tôt possible

2 adverb

(a) (in the morning → rise, leave) tôt, de bonne heure;

∎ let's set off as early as we can mettons-nous en route le plus tôt possible;

∎ how early should I get there? à quelle heure dois-je y être?

(b) (at the beginning of a period of time)

∎ early in the evening/in the afternoon tôt le soir/(dans) l'après-midi;

∎ early in the year/winter au début de l'année/de l'hiver;

∎ as early as the tenth century dès le dixième siècle;

∎ I can't make it earlier than 2.30 je ne peux pas avant 14 heures 30;

∎ what's the earliest you can make it? (be here) quand pouvez-vous être ici?;

∎ early on tôt;

∎ early on it was apparent that… il est vite apparu que…;

∎ early on in June au début du mois de juin;

∎ earlier on plus tôt

(c) (ahead of schedule) en avance; (earlier than usual) de bonne heure;

∎ I want to leave early tonight (from work) je veux partir de bonne heure ce soir;

∎ shop/post early for Christmas faites vos achats/postez votre courrier à l'avance pour Noël

(d) (prematurely)

∎ to die early (young) mourir jeune; (sooner than expected) mourir prématurément;

∎ this flower blooms very early cette fleur s'épanouit très précocement

(e) (relating to the future)

∎ at the earliest au plus tôt;

∎ we can't deliver earlier than Friday nous ne pouvons pas livrer avant vendredi

►► Marketing early adopter réceptif m précoce, adopteur m précoce;

early American = style de mobilier et d'architecture du début du XIXème siècle;

early bird (early riser) lève-tôt mf; (person who arrives early) = personne qui arrive tôt;

∎ proverb the early bird catches the worm (it's good to get up early) le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt; (it's good to arrive early) les premiers arrivés sont les mieux servis;

American Commerce early bird special = dans un restaurant, prix avantageux accordés aux clients qui consomment avant une certaine heure;

the early Church l'Église f primitive;

British Commerce early closing = jour où l'on ferme tôt;

∎ it's early closing today (for all shops) les magasins ferment de bonne heure aujourd'hui; (for this shop) on ferme de bonne heure aujourd'hui;

British Politics Early Day Motion = proposition de loi dont la discussion n'est pas à l'ordre du jour, présentée par un député qui recherche l'appui de collègues de façon à attirer l'attention du parlement sur une question;

early English gothique m anglais primitif;

Marketing early follower suiveur m immédiat;

Early Learning Centre = chaîne de magasins de jouets d'éveil, en Grande-Bretagne;

Marketing early majority majorité f innovatrice;

Art the early masters les primitifs mpl;

early music (baroque) musique f ancienne;

Finance early redemption amortissement m anticipé;

early retirement retraite f anticipée;

∎ to take early retirement prendre sa retraite anticipée, partir en retraite anticipée

ⓘ Here's one I made earlier L'émission éducative britannique Blue Peter, diffusée sur le petit écran depuis de nombreuses années, comprend souvent des séquences de travaux manuels et de cuisine. Les animateurs présentent toujours le produit fini à la caméra en prononçant les mots here's one I made earlier ("en voici un que j'ai confectionné au préalable"). On utilise cette phrase de façon humoristique lorsqu'on montre à quelqu'un une chose que l'on a réalisée.

SUBJECT AREA: Electricity, Ports and shipping

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The youngest son of the Earl of Rosse, he came from a family well known in scientific circles, the six boys growing up in an intellectual atmosphere at Birr Castle, the ancestral home in Ireland, where a forge and large workshop were available to them. Charles, like his brothers, did not go to school but was educated by private tutors of the character of Sir Robert Ball, this type of education being interspersed with overseas holiday trips to France, Holland, Belgium and Spain in the family yacht. In 1871, at the age of 17, he went to Trinity College, Dublin, and after two years he went on to St John's College, Cambridge. This was before the Engineering School had opened, and Parsons studied mechanics and mathematics.

In 1877 he was apprenticed to W.G.Armstrong \& Co. of Elswick, where he stayed for four years, developing an epicycloidal engine that he had designed while at Cambridge. He then moved to Kitson \& Co. of Leeds, where he went half shares in a small experimental shop working on rocket propulsion for torpedoes.

In 1887 he married Katherine Bethell, who contracted rheumatic fever from early-morning outdoor vigils with her husband to watch his torpedo experiments while on their honeymoon! He then moved to a partnership in Clarke, Chapman \& Co. at Gateshead. There he joined the electrical department, initially working on the development of a small, steam-driven marine lighting set. This involved the development of either a low-speed dynamo, for direct coupling to a reciprocating engine, or a high-speed engine, and it was this requirement that started Parsons on the track of the steam turbine. This entailed many problems such as the running of shafts at speeds of up to 40,000 rpm and the design of a DC generator for 18,000 rpm. He took out patents for both the turbine and the generator on 23 April 1884. In 1888 he dissolved his partnership with Clarke, Chapman \& Co. to set up his own firm in Newcastle, leaving his patents with the company's owners. This denied him the use of the axial-flow turbine, so Parsons then designed a radial-flow layout; he later bought back his patents from Clarke, Chapman \& Co. His original patent had included the use of the steam turbine as a means of marine propulsion, and Parsons now set about realizing this possibility. He experimented with 2 ft (61 cm) and 6 ft (183 cm) long models, towed with a fishing line or, later, driven by a twisted rubber cord, through a single-reduction set of spiral gearing.

The first trials of the Turbinia took place in 1894 but were disappointing due to cavitation, a little-understood phenomenon at the time. He used an axial-flow turbine of 2,000 shp running at 2,000 rpm. His work resulted in a far greater understanding of the phenomenon of cavitation than had hitherto existed. Land turbines of up to 350 kW (470 hp) had meanwhile been built. Experiments with the Turbinia culminated in a demonstration which took place at the great Naval Review of 1897 at Spithead, held to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Here, the little Turbinia darted in and out of the lines of heavy warships and destroyers, attaining the unheard of speed of 34.5 knots. The following year the Admiralty placed their first order for a turbine-driven ship, and passenger vessels started operation soon after, the first in 1901. By 1906 the Admiralty had moved over to use turbines exclusively. These early turbines had almost all been direct-coupled to the ship's propeller shaft. For optimum performance of both turbine and propeller, Parsons realized that some form of reduction gearing was necessary, which would have to be extremely accurate because of the speeds involved. Parsons's Creep Mechanism of 1912 ensured that any errors in the master wheel would be distributed evenly around the wheel being cut.

Parsons was also involved in optical work and had a controlling interest in the firm of Ross Ltd of London and, later, in Sir Howard Grubb \& Sons. He he was an enlightened employer, originating share schemes and other benefits for his employees.

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