middle

middle
mid|dle1 W2S1 [ˈmıdl] n
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
1¦(centre part)¦
2¦(time/event)¦
3¦(scale/range)¦
4¦(body)¦
5 be in the middle of (doing) something
6 in the middle of something
7 in the middle of nowhere
8 divide/split something down the middle
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
1.) ¦(CENTRE PART)¦
the middle
the part that is nearest the centre of something, and furthest from the sides, edges, top, bottom etc
the middle of
▪ We rowed out towards the middle of the lake.
in the middle (of sth)
▪ Jo was standing in the middle of the room.
▪ Those are my two brothers, and that's me in the middle.
▪ The meat was burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.
▪ a huge hole right in the middle of the lawn
through the middle (of sth)
▪ The new road will go right through the middle of the wood.
down the middle (of sth)
▪ Draw a line down the middle of the page.
2.) ¦(TIME/EVENT)¦
the middle
the part of an event or period of time that is between the beginning and the end
the middle of
▪ events which took place around the middle of the last century
in the middle (of sth)
▪ I'm going to stay with some friends in the middle of May.
▪ He gets killed in the middle of the film.
the middle of the night/day
▪ I got a phone call from her in the middle of the night!
the middle of the week/month/year etc
▪ Everything should be sorted out by the middle of next year.
3.) ¦(SCALE/RANGE)¦
the middle
the level or position that is between two extreme positions, for example between the best and the worst
▪ There are plenty of small houses for sale, and quite a lot of very large ones, but very little in the middle.
the middle of
▪ In tests, I always seem to finish around the middle of the class.
4.) ¦(BODY)¦ [C usually singular]
the part of your body around your waist and stomach
sb's middle
▪ He was holding a towel around his middle.
5.) be in the middle of (doing) sth
to be busy doing something
▪ Can I call you back - I'm in the middle of a meeting.
▪ I was in the middle of sorting some papers when the phone rang.
6.) in the middle of sth
if you are in the middle of something, it is happening to you or around you
▪ At that time Britain was in the middle of a recession.
▪ The company is in the middle of a takeover battle.
7.) in the middle of nowhere
a long way from the nearest big town
▪ They live miles away, in the middle of nowhere.
8.) divide/split sth down the middle
to divide something into equal halves or groups
▪ We put all the money together and then split it down the middle.
▪ The voters are split down the middle on this issue.
→piggy in the middle at ↑piggy1 (2)
middle 2
middle2 W2S1 adj [only before noun]
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1¦(centre)¦
2¦(time/event)¦
3¦(scale/range)¦
4 in your middle twenties/thirties etc
5 middle brother/child/daughter etc
6 middle course/way etc
7 Middle English/French etc
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[: Old English; Origin: middel]
1.) ¦(CENTRE)¦
nearest the centre and furthest from the edge, top, end etc
▪ driving in the middle lane of the motorway
▪ the middle drawer of the filing cabinet
2.) ¦(TIME/EVENT)¦
half of the way through an event or period of time
▪ They spent the middle part of their vacation in Florida.
▪ the middle part of the day
3.) ¦(SCALE/RANGE)¦
between two extreme levels or positions, for example between the best and worst, the biggest and smallest etc
▪ a car in the middle price range
▪ the middle ranks of the army
▪ a middle-income family
4.) in your middle twenties/thirties etc
about 25, 35 etc years old
5.) middle brother/child/daughter etc
the brother etc who is between the oldest and the youngest
6.) middle course/way etc
a way of dealing with something that is between two opposite and often extreme ways
middle course/way etc between
▪ The party is seeking to find a middle way between extreme right-wing and left-wing policies.
▪ I try to steer a middle course between keeping control of the project and giving responsibility to others.
7.) Middle English/French etc
an old form of English, French etc, used in the Middle Ages (=between 1100 and 1500 AD)

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Middle — Mid dle (m[i^]d d l), a. [OE. middel, AS. middel; akin to D. middel, OHG. muttil, G. mittel. [root]271. See {Mid}, a.] [1913 Webster] 1. Equally distant from the extreme either of a number of things or of one thing; mean; medial; as, the middle… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Middle — may refer to: Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Geography in fiction …   Wikipedia

  • 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 …   English World dictionary

  • Middle — Mid dle, n. [AS. middel. See {Middle}, a.] The point or part equally distant from the extremities or exterior limits, as of a line, a surface, or a solid; an intervening point or part in space, time, or order of series; the midst; central… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • middle — [adj] central average, between, betwixt and between*, center, centermost, equidistant, halfway, inner, inside, intermediate, intervening, mainstream, mean, medial, median, medium, mezzo*, middlemost, middle of the road*, midmost, smack in the… …   New thesaurus

  • middle C — n [U] the musical note C, which is the middle note on a piano …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • middle C — ► NOUN Music ▪ the C near the middle of the piano keyboard, written on the first ledger line below the treble stave or the first ledger line above the bass stave …   English terms dictionary

  • middle — ► ADJECTIVE 1) at an equal distance from the extremities of something; central. 2) intermediate in rank, quality, or ability. ► NOUN 1) a middle point or position. 2) informal a person s waist and stomach …   English terms dictionary

  • middle — I adjective average, axial, centermost, central, centric, centroidal, equidistant, halfway, interjacent, intermediary, intermediate, mean, medial, median, mediate, mediocre, medium, mid, midmost, midway, pivotal II noun average, axis, center,… …   Law dictionary

  • middle — n *center, midst, core, hub, focus, nucleus, heart …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • middle C — n. 1. the musical note on the first ledger line below the treble staff and the first above the bass staff 2. the corresponding tone or key …   English World dictionary

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