medium

[ mee-dee-uhm ]

/ ˈmi di əm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR medium ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural me·di·a [mee-dee-uh] /ˈmi di ə/ for 1–9, 11, me·di·ums for 1–11, 14.

a middle state or condition; mean.

something intermediate in nature or degree.

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

the element that is the natural habitat of an organism.

surrounding objects, conditions, or influences; environment.

an intervening agency, means, or instrument by which something is conveyed or accomplished: Words are a medium of expression.

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

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

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

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

Fine Arts.

Painting. a liquid with which pigments are mixed.
the material or technique with which an artist works: the medium of watercolor.

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

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

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

in medium, Movies, Television. with the principal actors in the middle distance: The scene was shot in medium.

adjective

about halfway between extremes, as of degree, amount, quality, position, or size: Cook over medium heat. He is of medium height.

Nearby words

Origin of medium

1575–85; < Latin: the middle, noun use of neuter of medius middle. See mid¹

SYNONYMS FOR medium

16. average, mean, middling.

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Can be confusedmedia median medium mediums (see usage note at media¹)

Usage note

7. See media¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for medium

Place the thinly sliced shallots in a medium bowl and pour buttermilk over to coat.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole|Carla Hall|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And since visual media is more compelling than any other medium, it is consistently their drug of choice.
North Korea’s Secret Movie Bootleggers: How Western Films Make It Into the Hermit Kingdom|Lizzie Crocker|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For OK Go the music video is medium for personal creativity, hype, and branding.
OK Go Is Helping Redefine the Music Video For the Internet Age|Lauren Schwartzberg|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Video has been the medium of choice for winning artists of late; the two previous winners were both video artists.
Has the Turner Prize Gone Soft?|David Levesley|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Several of the phenomena occurred entirely under our own hands, and quite disconnected from the "medium."
Mysterious Psychic Forces|Camille Flammarion
The camel races, while not exactly regarded as a medium for speculation, were the most amusing to watch.
With Our Army in Palestine|Antony Bluett
Language was among such means and became even more effective when a medium for storing and disseminating-writing-was established.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
The form in which it is given to our world would be the contribution of the medium.
Modern Religious Cults and Movements|Gaius Glenn Atkins
Such a measure, it is certain, can only be obtained through the medium of a succession in our ideas.
Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, Vol. 2|Henry Hallam

British Dictionary definitions for medium

medium

/ (ˈmiːdɪəm) /

adjective

midway between extremes; averagea medium size

(of a colour) reflecting or transmitting a moderate amount of lighta medium red Compare light 1 (def. 29), dark (def. 2)

noun plural -dia (-dɪə) or -diums

an intermediate or middle state, degree, or condition; meanthe happy medium

an intervening substance or agency for transmitting or producing an effect; vehicleair is a medium for sound

a means or agency for communicating or diffusing information, news, etc, to the publictelevision is a powerful medium

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

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

biology short for culture medium

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

art

the category of a work of art, as determined by its materials and methods of productionthe medium of wood engraving
the materials used in a work of art

any solvent in which pigments are mixed and thinned

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)

Word Origin for medium

C16: from Latin: neuter singular of medius middle

xref

See media 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for medium

medium

1580s, "a middle ground, quality, or degree," from Latin medium "the middle, midst, center; interval," noun use of neuter of adjective medius (see medial (adj.)). Meaning "intermediate agency, channel of communication" is from c.1600. That of "person who conveys spiritual messages" first recorded 1853, from notion of "substance through which something is conveyed." Artistic sense (oil, watercolors, etc.) is from 1854. Happy medium is the "golden mean," Horace's aurea mediocritas.

medium

adj.

1660s, "average," from medium (n.). The Latin adjective was medius. Meaning "intermediate" is from 1796. As a size designation from 1711. as a designation of cooked meat, it is attested from 1931, short for medium-rare (1881).

Medicine definitions for medium

medium

[ mē′dē-əm ]

n. pl. me•di•ums

Something, such as an intermediate course of action, that occupies a position or represents a condition midway between extremes.

An intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on.

An agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred.

The substance, often nutritive, in which a specific organism lives and thrives.

A culture medium.

A filtering substance, such as filter paper.

adj.

Occurring or being between two degrees, amounts, or quantities; intermediate.

Science definitions for medium

medium

[ mē′dē-əm ]

Plural media

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

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. See more at wave.

Idioms and Phrases with medium

medium

see happy medium.

medium

noun, plural me·di·a [mee-dee-uh] /ˈmi di ə/ for 1–9, 11, me·di·ums for 1–11, 14.

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of medium

Usage note

Examples from the Web for medium

medium

adjective

noun plural -dia (-dɪə) or -diums

Word Origin for medium

xref

medium

medium

medium

n. pl. me•di•ums

adj.

medium

Plural media

medium