median

median [mē′dē ən]

adj.

[L medianus < medius, middle: see MID¹]

1. middle; intermediate

a) designating a line extending from a vertex of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side

b) designating a line joining the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezoid

2.

a) designating the plane that divides a body or part into symmetrical parts

b) situated in this plane

3. Statistics

a) designating the middle number in a series containing an odd number of items (Ex.: 7 in the series 1, 4, 7, 16, 43)

b) designating the number midway between the two middle numbers in a series containing an even number of items (Ex.: 10 in the series 3, 4, 8, 12, 46, 72): distinguished from AVERAGE, MEAN³, MODE

n.

1. a median number, point, or line

2. an artery, vein, nerve, etc. in the middle of the body or along the imaginary plane that bisects the body into the right and left halves

☆ 3. the strip of land separating the lanes of opposing traffic of a divided highway: in full median strip

medianly

adv.