medium

[mee-dee-uhm]

noun

plural

media, mediums 

1. a middle state or condition; mean.

2. something intermediate in nature or degree.

3. an intervening substance, as air, through which a force acts or an effect is produced.

4. the element that is the natural habitat of an organism.

5. surrounding objects, conditions, or influences; environment.

6. an intervening agency, means, or instrument by which something is conveyed or accomplished.

   Words are a medium of expression.

7. one of the means or channels of general communication, information, or entertainment in society, as newspapers, radio, or television.

8. Biology.,  the substance in which specimens are displayed or preserved.

9. Also called culture medium. Bacteriology.,  a liquid or solidified nutrient material suitable for the cultivation of microorganisms.

10. a person through whom the spirits of the dead are alleged to be able to contact the living.

11. Fine Arts.

    1. Painting.,  a liquid with which pigments are mixed.

    2. the material or technique with which an artist works.

       the medium of watercolor.

12. a size of printing paper, 18½ × 23½ inches (47 × 60 centimeters) in England, 18 × 23 to 19 × 25 inches (46 × 58 to 48 × 64 centimeters) in America.

13. Chiefly British.,  a size of drawing or writing paper, 17½ × 22 inches (44 × 56 centimeters).

14. Also called medium strip. Midland U.S.,  median strip.

15. Movies, Television.,  in medium, with the principal actors in the middle distance.

    The scene was shot in medium.

adjective

1. about halfway between extremes, as of degree, amount, quality, position, or size.

   Cook over medium heat. He is of medium height.

   Synonyms: middling, mean, average

medium

/ ˈmiːdɪəm /

adjective

1. midway between extremes; average

   a medium size

2. (of a colour) reflecting or transmitting a moderate amount of light Compare light 1 dark

   a medium red

noun

1. an intermediate or middle state, degree, or condition; mean

   the happy medium

2. an intervening substance or agency for transmitting or producing an effect; vehicle

   air is a medium for sound

3. a means or agency for communicating or diffusing information, news, etc, to the public

   television is a powerful medium

4. a person supposedly used as a spiritual intermediary between the dead and the living

5. the substance in which specimens of animals and plants are preserved or displayed

6. biology short for culture medium

7. the substance or surroundings in which an organism naturally lives or grows

8. art

   1. the category of a work of art, as determined by its materials and methods of production

      the medium of wood engraving

   2. the materials used in a work of art

9. any solvent in which pigments are mixed and thinned

10. any one of various sizes of writing or printing paper, esp 18 1/ 2 by 23 1/ 2 inches or 17 1/ 2 by 22 inches ( small medium )

medium

plural

media 

1. A substance, such as agar, in which bacteria or other microorganisms are grown for scientific purposes.

2. A substance that makes possible the transfer of energy from one location to another, especially through waves. For example, matter of sufficient density can be a medium for sound waves, which transfer mechanical energy.

3. See more at wave

Usage

See media ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of medium¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin: “the middle,” noun use of neuter of medius “middle”; mid ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of medium¹

C16: from Latin: neuter singular of medius middle

Idioms and Phrases

see happy medium.

Example Sentences

The businesswoman, mother and grandmother is pleased to see social media embracing people in later life and is determined to prove to older people that they shouldn't allow anyone to put them into categories.

Read more on BBC

Youngsters increasingly include digital assets, such as cryptocurrency, social media accounts and online businesses in their wills, according to Emily Deane from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Read more on BBC

Videos of daring skydivers have gone viral on social media.

Read more on Barron's

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

Read more on BBC

As a rule, Canadian media stay mostly away from commenting on the family life of politicians.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• channel 
• form 
• instrument 
• mechanism 
• tool 
• vehicle