What is "waza-ari"

n. (context judo English) a throw in which the opponent is thrown with control and accuracy, but not to the extent of an ippon, or held on the back for between 20 and 25 seconds on the mat; the score of half a point awarded for this throw

is the second highest score a fighter can achieve in a Japanese martial arts ippon or waza-ari contest, usually judo, karate or jujutsu.