middle

1. 1

   A centre, midpoint.

   • The middle of a circle is the point which has the same distance to every point of circle.
2. 2

   The part between the beginning and the end.

   • I woke up in the middle of the night.
   • In the middle of the marathon, David collapsed from fatigue.
3. 3

   The middle stump.

4. 4

   The central part of a human body; the waist.

   • If I have a diet plan and stick to it, it is easy for me to have control over my middle.
5. 5

   The middle voice.

6. 6

   the center of the political spectrum.

   • As part of his successful re-election strategy, Clinton began governing from the middle.
7. 7

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

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

syn. center · midpoint

1. 1

   Located in the middle; in between.no-comparative

   • the middle point
   • middle name, Middle English, Middle Ages
2. 2

   Central.no-comparative

3. 3

   Pertaining to the middle voice.no-comparative

1. 1

   To take a middle view of.obsoletetransitive

   • 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. 2

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

3. 3

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