English Dictionary
Definition of “middle”
middle (ˈmɪdəll
)
Definitions
adjective
- 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 (sense 5)
, passive (sense 5)
- (usually capital) (of a language) intermediate between the earliest and the modern forms ⇒
Middle English
noun
- 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
verb (tr)
- 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
Word Origin
Old English middel; compare Old Frisian middel, Dutch middel, German mittel
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
centre,
heart,
inside,
thick,
core,
midst,
nucleus,
hub,
halfway point
midpoint,
midsection,
=
central,
medium,
inside,
mid,
intervening,
inner,
halfway,
intermediate,
median,
medial,
Translations
- British English:
middle
The middle of something is the part that is farthest from its edges, ends, or outside surface.He stood in the middle of the room.ˈmɪdl NOUN He stood in the middle of the room.
- Spanish:
medio
nm
- French:
milieu
nm
- German:
Mitte
nf
- Chinese: 中间 n
- Arabic: وَسَطُ n
- Portuguese: centro nm
- Russian: середина nf
- Croatian: sredina nf
- Czech: prostřední adj
- Danish: midte nutr
- Dutch: midden nnt
- Finnish: keskikohta n
- Greek: μέση nnt
- Italian: mezzo nm
- Japanese: 中央 n
- Korean: 중간 n
- Norwegian: midt nm
- Polish: środek nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: centro nm
- European Spanish:
medio
nm
- Swedish: mitt nutr
- Thai: จุดกลาง n
- Turkish: orta n
- Vietnamese: chỗ giữa n
Usage examples
Dr Pottle, the psychiatrist, was a small man in late middle age who had deliberately cultivated a natural resemblance to Einstein.
Anthony Masters, CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2001)Somebody had removed three of the wooden slats in the middle of the gangway, leaving a six foot gap.
Country Life (2004)There is a battle going on between the two sides and we are in the middle.
Irish Times (2002)Never shout before a shot is hit or in the middle of a swing.
Glasgow Herald (2001)In forty years of film financing, he'd mastered the art of playing both ends against the middle.
John Baxter, DE NIRO: A Biography (2002)
