middle

middle [mid′'l]

adj.

[ME middel < OE < midd-,MID¹ + -el,-LE]

1. halfway between two given points, times, limits, etc.; also, equally distant from all sides or extremities; in the center; mean

2. in between; intermediate; intervening

3. Gram.

a) denoting the voice or form of a verb whose subject is represented as acting reflexively, or upon itself: in Greek, such verbs are usually passive in grammatical form

b) in or of the middle voice

4. [M-] Geol. designating a division of a period or a formation between those called Upper and Lower

5. [M-] designating a stage in language development intermediate between those called Old and Modern [Middle English]

n.

1. a point or part halfway between extremes; middle point, part, time, etc.

2. something intermediate

3. the middle part of the body; waist

4. Gram. the middle voice

5. MIDDLE TERM

vt., vi.

middled, middling

to put in the middle

SYN.- MIDDLE refers to the point or part equally distant from either or all sides or extremities and may apply to space, time, etc. [the middle of the stage, the day, etc. ]; CENTER more precisely stresses the point equidistant from the bounding lines or surfaces of any plane or solid figure [the center of a circle, globe, etc. ] and is sometimes used figuratively [the center of town, a trade center]; MIDST, usually used in prepositional phrases, denotes a middle part that is surrounded by persons or things or a middle point in some action [in the midst of a crowd, one's work, etc. ]