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