middle

adjective

• 1at an equal distance from the extremities of something; central:the early and middle part of life middle and eastern Europe
• (of a member of a group or sequence) placed so as to have the same number of members on each side:the woman was in her middle forties
• intermediate in rank, quality, or ability:there is a dearth of talent at middle level
• (of a language) of the period between the old and modern forms:Middle High German

• 2 Grammar denoting a voice of verbs in some languages, such as Greek, which expresses reciprocal or reflexive action.
• denoting a transitive verb in English which does not have an equivalent passive, e.g. had in he had an idea.

noun

• 1 [usually in singular] the point or position at an equal distance from the sides, edges, or ends of something:she stood alone in the middle of the street
• the point at or around the centre of a period of time, activity, etc.:we were married in the middle of December
• informal a person’s waist and stomach:he had a towel round his middle

• 2 Grammar the form or voice of a verb expressing reflexive or reciprocal action.

verb

• (in cricket, tennis, etc.) strike (the ball) with the middle of the bat, racket, or club: every shot he took on, he middled