middle
equally distant from the extremes or outer limits; central: the middle point of a line; the middle singer in a trio.
intermediate or intervening: the middle distance.
medium or average: a man of middle size.
(initial capital letter) (in the history of a language) intermediate between periods classified as Old and New or Modern: Middle English.
Grammar. (in some languages) noting a voice of verb inflection in which the subject is represented as acting on or for itself, in contrast to the active voice in which the subject acts, and the passive voice in which the subject is acted upon, as in Greek, egrapsámēn “I wrote for myself,” égrapsa “I wrote,” egráphēn “I was written.”
(often initial capital letter)Stratigraphy. noting the division intermediate between the upper and lower divisions of a period, system, or the like: the Middle Devonian.
the point, part, position, etc., equidistant from extremes or limits.
the central part of the human body, especially the waist: He gave him a punch in the middle.
something intermediate; mean.
(in farming) the ground between two rows of plants.
Chiefly Nautical. to fold in half.
Origin of middle
1synonym study For middle
Other words for middle
Opposites for middle
Words Nearby middle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use middle in a sentence
Tropical storms Teddy and Vicky are still out in the middle of the Atlantic.
A nearly unprecedented cluster of tropical storms are brewing in the Atlantic | Sara Chodosh | September 15, 2020 | Popular-ScienceWe’re are in the middle of a global pandemic, but we’re also in the midst of a racial pandemic where racism is being normalized.
Oceanside Is Rethinking Its Police Chief Hiring Process Following Community Concerns | Kayla Jimenez | September 14, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoSo, I think we’re getting to the place where we’re in the middle of this storm, which will allow us to see much clearer who we are, who we want to be, and who we are destined to be.
The study found that a tool made by Lunit AI and used in certain hospitals in South Korea finished in the middle of the pack of radiologists it was tested against.
New standards for AI clinical trials will help spot snake oil and hype | Will Heaven | September 11, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewRight in the middle of the paragraph, Hightower breaks away from the subject of affidavits for two sentences.
The Learning Curve: San Diego Unified Is Terrified of Kids Opting Out | Will Huntsberry | September 10, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
According to Pew, 14 of the 20 countries in the middle East and North Africa have blasphemy laws.
In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd, especially when it comes to the middle, personality counts.
The same picture emerges from middle class men in the U.S., Canada, and the Nordic countries.
How Good Dads Can Change the World | Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAs a white, educated, Western, middle-class male, I possess most of the unearned privilege the world has to offer.
She looked so sweet when she said it, standing and smiling there in the middle of the floor, the door-way making a frame for her.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FaySuddenly, however, he became aware of a small black spot far ahead in the very middle of the unencumbered track.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeThe Seven-score and four on the six middle Bells, the treble leading, and the tenor lying behind every change, makes good Musick.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing | Richard Duckworth and Fabian StedmanWhen we speak against one capital vice, we ought to speak against its opposite; the middle betwixt both is the point for virtue.
Pearls of Thought | Maturin M. BallouDinner occurred in the middle of the day, and about nine in the evening was an informal but copious supper.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold Bennett
British Dictionary definitions for middle
/ (ˈmɪdəl) /
equally distant from the ends or periphery of something; central
intermediate in status, situation, etc
located between the early and late parts of a series, time sequence, etc
not extreme, esp in size; medium
(esp in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) denoting a voice of verbs expressing reciprocal or reflexive action: Compare active (def. 5), passive (def. 5)
(usually capital) (of a language) intermediate between the earliest and the modern forms: Middle English
an area or point equal in distance from the ends or periphery or in time between the early and late parts
an intermediate part or section, such as the waist
grammar the middle voice
logic See middle term
the ground between rows of growing plants
a discursive article in a journal, placed between the leading articles and the book reviews
cricket a position on the batting creases in alignment with the middle stumps on which a batsman may take guard
to place in the middle
nautical to fold in two
football to return (the ball) from the wing to midfield
cricket to hit (the ball) with the middle of the bat
Origin of middle
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with middle
see caught in the middle; in the middle of; play both ends against the middle.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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