The commission of grievous bodily harm that is severe and life‑threatening but does not result in death; an assault approaching murder in severity yet nonfatal.
2.
unspecifiedidiomaticinformal
A descriptive term meaning partly murder or partly homicidal in character, used to indicate that an event, narrative, or act contains elements of murder without being entirely murder.
Examples:
EN: Look at me I've been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for half murder.
ES: Mírame , he sido condenado ... A siete años de prisión por el asesinato.