middle — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A centre, midpoint.

   Examples

   The middle of a circle is the point which has the same distance to every point of circle.

2. The part between the beginning and the end.

   Examples

   I woke up in the middle of the night.

   In the middle of the marathon, David collapsed from fatigue.

   More examples (1)

   Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.

3. The middle stump.

4. The central part of a human body; the waist.

   Examples

   If I have a diet plan and stick to it, it is easy for me to have control over my middle.

5. The middle voice.

6. the center of the political spectrum.

   Examples

   As part of his successful re-election strategy, Clinton began governing from the middle.

7. An essay on social or literary issues in a newspaper or magazine, originally placed between the leading articles and the reviews.

   Examples

   ‘Did you see the Spec. had a middle on “Rural Tenacities” last week. That was all Huckley.’

Adjective

1. Located in the middle; in between.

   Usage

   • no-comparative

   Examples

   the middle point

   middle name, Middle English, Middle Ages

2. Central.

   Usage

   • no-comparative

3. Pertaining to the middle voice.

   Usage

   • no-comparative

Verb

1. To take a middle view of.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   And now, to middle the matter between both, it is pity, that the man they favour has not that sort of merit which a person of a mind so delicate as that of Miss Harlowe might reasonably expect in a husband.

2. To double (a rope) into two equal portions; to fold in the middle.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

3. To strike (the ball) with the middle portion of the face of the bat.

   Usage

   • Transitive

Adjective

1. being neither at the beginning nor at the end in a series

   Synonyms

   in-betweenmediate

   Examples

   adolescence is an awkward in-between age

   in a mediate position

   More examples (1)

   the middle point on a line

2. equally distant from the extremes

   Synonyms

   centerhalfwaymidwaycentre

3. of a stage in the development of a language or literature between earlier and later stages

   Antonyms

   lateearly

   Examples

   Middle English is the English language from about 1100 to 1500

   Middle Gaelic

4. between an earlier and a later period of time

   Antonyms

   lateearly

   Examples

   in the middle years

   in his middle thirties

Noun

1. an area that is approximately central within some larger region

   Synonyms

   centercentrehearteye

   Broader terms

   areacountry

   Examples

   it is in the center of town

   they ran forward into the heart of the struggle

   More examples (1)

   they were in the eye of the storm

2. an intermediate part or section

   Antonyms

   endbeginning

   Broader terms

   partsectiondivision

3. the middle area of the human torso (usually in front)

   Synonyms

   midriffmidsection

   Broader terms

   arearegion

   Examples

   young American women believe that a bare midriff is fashionable

4. the point between the beginning and the end of a temporal period or process

   Antonyms

   endbeginning

   Broader terms

   pointpoint in time

   Examples

   the middle of the war

   rain during the middle of April

Verb

1. put in the middle

   Broader terms

   putsetplaceposepositionlay