transcription, транскрипция: [ mɪd(ə)l ]
( middles)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
The middle of something is the part of it that is furthest from its edges, ends, or outside surface.
Howard stood in the middle of the room sipping a cup of coffee...
Hyde accelerated away from the kerb, swerving out into the middle of the street...
Make sure the roast potatoes aren’t raw in the middle.
= centre
the middle of nowhere: see nowhere
N-COUNT : usu the N in sing , oft N of n
2.
The middle object in a row of objects is the one that has an equal number of objects on each side.
The middle button of his uniform jacket was strained over his belly.
...the middle finger of her left hand.
ADJ : ADJ n
3.
The middle of an event or period of time is the part that comes after the first part and before the last part.
I woke up in the middle of the night and could hear a tapping on the window...
It was now the middle of November, cold and often foggy...
N-SING : the N of n
•
Middle is also an adjective.
The month began and ended quite dry, but the middle fortnight saw nearly 100mm of rain fall nationwide.
ADJ : ADJ n
4.
The middle course or way is a moderate course of action that lies between two opposite and extreme courses.
He favoured a middle course between free enterprise and state intervention...
ADJ : ADJ n
5.
If you divide or split something down the middle , you divide or split it into two equal halves or groups.
They agreed to split the bill down the middle...
= in half
PHRASE : PHR after v
6.
If you are in the middle of doing something, you are busy doing it.
It’s a bit hectic. I’m in the middle of cooking for nine people...
PHRASE : v-link PHR -ing / n