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middle

middle

4 6.6
Belonging to a historical time between earlier and later stages
  • adjective
  • /ˈmɪdəl/
: medio
  • The painting showcases a middle section that blends elements from both the early and late artistic styles.
  • Middle English

So so that's that's your not early, but middle development.

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Examples

  • And in the middle of all this, you have a country.

  • And then when middle school came, things got much worse.

  • Bullying occurs at all grade levels, but middle schools appear to have especially high rates.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Teaching narrative text selections is an important part of the middle grades English curriculum.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And so I've tried to steer a middle path between those two extremes.

  • His middle period is characterized by a heroic tone, as in his opera, Fidelio, where a wife saves her imprisoned husband from murder at the hands of his enemy.

  • In the middle of the story, the main character faces a significant challenge that tests their resolve.

  • During the middle stage of development, children often experience rapid growth in their language skills.

Synonyms

mid
vsmiddle
861 1.0

In the middle of a month or year

serves as a stage between earlier and later language development phases
in-between
vsmiddle
278 4.0

In the middle between two other things, neither the start nor the end

applies to a stage located between earlier and later literary phases
midcourse
vsmiddle
1 6.0

Happening in the middle of a journey or project

is about a stage occurring between earlier and later development phases

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Near the beginning of a period, for example childhood

∞ 1.0

Near the end of a period or stage

Idioms

Having extra fat around the waist

1 7.3

A very strong personal quality that shows what someone is like

1 7.8

A person who is between two sides and cannot change what happens

To hit or shock someone so they feel dazed

1 8.3

To show anger or insult someone by lifting the middle finger

People say this jokingly about someone who often does dangerous things

Compounds

761 2.8

A region around the eastern Mediterranean including countries from Egypt and Turkey to Iran

481 2.0

People with moderate income and education who are not rich or poor

309 3.2

Of people or families with a moderate income and some education

187 1.4

A school for children between elementary and high school, usually grades 6 to 8

152 2.2

A period of life between about 40 and 60 years old

129 4.6

A place far from towns and people

83 1.8

A name that comes between a person's first name and last name

47 4.1

A period in Europe from about the 5th century to the late 15th century

43 4.2

An agreement both sides can accept

A man around 45 to 65 years old

Having higher than average income, education, and social position among the middle class

Having a modest income and social position in the lower part of the middle class

middle finger
  • Offensive
13 5.0

A rude hand sign made by raising the finger in the middle to insult someone

Something that is not extreme in politics or personal tastes

The finger between the index and ring fingers on the hand

5 4.2

A job or person that is between lower workers and top managers

middle ear
  • Specialized
4 3.5

A space filled with air behind the eardrum that contains three tiny bones that carry sound to the inner ear

A form of English spoken and written from about 1100 to 1450

3 3.2

A region in the north-central United States that includes states like Ohio and Illinois

The part of a picture or view between things near you and things far away

middle C
  • Specialized
1 4.2

The note C near the center of a piano used as a reference in music

1 3.5

A region in the east of the United States that includes states like New York and Virginia

1 7.6

A large artery in the brain that gives blood to much of the outer brain

A person who has moderate political views between left and right

A gain of fat around the waist that happens in middle age

Middle Paleolithic
  • Specialized
1 9.9

The second part of the Old Stone Age when Neanderthals lived, until about 35,000 BC

A viral illness that causes fever, cough, and breathing problems and often spreads from camels to people

1 7.0

A blood vessel inside the skull that carries blood to the coverings of the brain

middle fifty
  • Specialized
1 8.0

The range covering the middle half of a set of numbers

middle watch
  • Specialized
1 9.5

The time on a ship from midnight to four in the morning when crew are on duty

middle term
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A word or phrase that appears in both statements but not in the conclusion

middle voice
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A verb form where the subject does an action to itself or for itself

An older form of German spoken in southern Germany and nearby areas from about 1100 to 1500

7.3

A vein deep in the side of the brain that drains blood toward the base of the brain

middle buster
  • Archaic
9.9

A plow that makes a deep middle row and moves soil to both sides

middle cerebral vein
  • Specialized
7.0

A blood vessel that drains blood from the side of the brain

A form of the Irish language used in speech and writing from about 1100 to 1500

Middle Low German
  • Specialized
9.9

An old form of Low German spoken in northern Germany and by the Hanseatic League between 1100 and 1500

A form of Greek spoken and written from about 600 to 1200 AD between Ancient and Modern Greek

A form of the Irish language used from about 1100 to 1500

middle temporal vein
  • Specialized
7.7

A tube near the temple that carries blood to a larger vein behind the jaw

middle-ear deafness
  • Specialized
6.2

Hearing loss caused by problems with the small bones in the middle ear

middle thyroid vein
  • Specialized
7.1

A neck vein that carries blood from the side of the thyroid gland into a large vein in the neck

A large vein along the Sylvian fissure on the side of the brain that drains into the cavernous sinus

How Early

early
∞ 1.0
middle
4 6.6
late
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

middle positive

Morphology

middle = mid (transparent) = mid + dle

The temporal/period sense ('occurring between earlier and later stages') is a direct extension of 'mid' meaning 'between/central'.

Etymology

Middle in names like Middle English or Middle Dutch uses the root mid meaning 'between', so it marks a time or stage that is between an earlier and a later period.