middle1 nounmiddle2 adjective
middlemid‧dle1 /ˈmɪdl/ ●●● S1 W2 noun 
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Did you enjoy the movie?" "It was OK but I got a little bored towards the middle."
- Gary rowed out towards the middle of the lake.
- Going through the middle of Tokyo in the rush hour can be a nightmare.
- It was the middle of summer.
- But by the middle of the night, the alcohol will be metabolized and the rebound effect will set in.
- I had a spell in the middle of the season when I was useless.
- It was very hard work and during the middle we had a water fight.
- Somewhere in the middle lies the case for change.
- The group also is in the middle of a $ 45, 000 project to renovate a pagoda in the ancient quarter.
- The office block was in the middle of a hellish whirlwind.
- The state built 10 prisons from the opening of San Quentin in 1852 until the middle of the last decade.
- Time spent in taking stock is time well spent, even in the middle of a hectic day.
Longman Language Activatorthe middle
the part of something, such as a space or area, a piece of writing, or a period of time, which is half way between one side and the other, or halfway between the beginning and the end: · "Did you enjoy the movie?" "It was OK but I got a little bored towards the middle."middle of: · Gary rowed out towards the middle of the lake.· It was the middle of summer.· Going through the middle of Tokyo in the rush hour can be a nightmare.
British /center American the middle of a space, area, or object, especially the exact middle: · The flower has white petals, and is deep pink at the centre.· I love chocolates with soft centers.the centre of something: · Draw a line through the center of the circle.at the centre/in the centre (of something) (=exactly in the middle of something): · A bomb has exploded in the crowded business district in the centre of the old city.right in the centre (=exactly in the centre): · The women all wore a red dot right in the centre of their foreheads.
the middle of an area, town, or city: · The hotel is located in the heart of Moscow.· a quiet village in the heart of the English countryside
the central part of a large object such as a very large rock or the Earth: · The Earth has a solid inner core 2500 km in diameter.· Only the core of the volcano remained.
in the middle · At the back there was a small garden with a fishpond in the middle.· I was never at the top of my class. I was somewhere in the middle, I suppose.in the middle of · Lizzie woke up in the middle of the night with a toothache.· At the time, the country was in the middle of an economic recession.
: the middle drawer/shelf/finger etc the one in the middle: · You'll find the scissors in the middle drawer of my desk.· Jane was wearing a gold ring on her middle finger.· There were three children in my family, and I was the middle one.
in the middle of an area, country, or town: · The houses face onto a central courtyard.· the tropical rainforest in central Africa· central London
British /center American: centre door/panel/page etc the door etc that is in the middle with others on either side: · On the center panel of the screen there is a painting of a Greek goddess.· There's usually a picture of some glamorous girl on the centre page.
British /at/in the center American exactly in the middle of something: · It was a huge room with a high ceiling and an oak table in the centre.at/in the centre of: · At the center of the atom is the nucleus.· The city of Turin stands at the centre of the Piedmontese plain.
at the middle point between two places or of a period of time or event: halfway across/between/down/up etc: · Our car broke down halfway across the bridge.· We were halfway down the mountain when it started snowing.· Joe was pretty unhappy and left the college halfway through the year.the halfway mark (=the middle point of something): · The Scots opened up a 29-17 lead, and at the halfway mark they were still in front.
in or near the middle of a period of time: · The house was built in the mid-18th century.· As the value of the US dollar fell in the mid-1980s, so did the value of UK reserves.· Let's meet again mid-week.
at the middle point of a distance, a period of time, or a set of numbers: midway between/through: · The islands lie in the Indian Ocean midway between Madagascar and Tanzania.· United took the lead midway through the first half.· At a guess, I'd say he was midway between 50 and 60.
the point that is an equal distance from either end of a process or scale: · The Redskins and the Giants were the leaders as the midpoint in the season drew near.midpoint of: · By the midpoint of the twentieth century, the economy had begun to improve.
to do something better than before if someone or something is between two or more people or things, the people or things are on either side of it: · The ball rolled between the goalkeeper's legs.· I had to sit between my two little brothers at dinner.· The house is somewhere between here and the airport.· Between the trees and the river, the slope was covered with beautiful daffodils.halfway between: · Barnegat Books is situated on Eleventh Street, about halfway between Broadway and University Place.
in the space that separates two or more things or people: · She found a small pool in between the rocks.· Why don't you put the television in between the bookcase and the window?· Rachel got in between Rob and Chris for a better view.· The farmer knocked off the lumps of earth in between the blades of his plough.
in a group of people or things that are all around you: · I saw him standing among a group of students.· The house was hidden among the trees.· We helped Mom search for her wedding ring among the rocks below the boardwalk.
if someone or something is in the middle , they are in the centre of a group or row with one or more people or things on either side of them: · Cindy and Marcia sat at either end of the sofa with me in the middle.· Here's a photo of my brother's baseball team -- that's Sean in the middle.in the middle of: · Just over the hill we saw a pond in the middle of the pines.
to be between two people or things that are so close that there is not enough space to move: · I spent a very uncomfortable evening at the concert sandwiched between two very large ladies.· Alan got back to the parking lot only to find his car sandwiched between a pick- up and a big truck.
exactly in a particular place: right in/on/up etc use this when something is in an exact position or place: · That hit me right in the eye!· I got a mosquito bite right on the end of my nose. · There's the house, right in front of you.· He sat down right beside her.
informal use this to say that something is exactly in a place, especially when this is unpleasant in some way: · They live smack in the middle of a huge housing estate.· A garbage truck had parked smack in front of our house.smack dab American (=use this to emphasize that you are being exact): · The ball hit me smack dab in the middle of my forehead.
British informal: bang in/on/up etc use this when something is in an exact point or position, especially if it falls there: · He landed bang in the middle of the roof, and it collapsed.· The eraser hit him bang on the top of his head.right/slap bang: · The arrow hit the target right bang in the middle.· They've put an ornamental fountain slap bang in the middle of the roundabout.
far away from other places a distant or far-off town or country is a long way from where you are: · Food at the fair comes from such far-off places as Brazil and Lithuania.· How can we send our young men off to distant lands to die in foreign wars?
written a faraway country, especially one that you have been told about or have read about, is very far away, and different from your own country: · Ed told us stories of all the faraway countries he had visited.· Avis always dreamed of an exotic vacation in some faraway place.
remote places are far away from other places or people, and very few people go there: · They moved to a remote farmhouse in North Wales.· The helicopter crashed in a remote desert area.
a long way from other towns, buildings, or people, especially in a quiet place where you are alone: · If you travel to isolated areas, make sure you have a good guide.· The area is extremely isolated because of the hills that surround it.
a secluded place is private and quiet because it is a long way from other people - use this about a place where people can do what they want without being disturbed: · They drove to a secluded spot in the country to have their picnic.· We rented a little cabin on the edge of a secluded lake.
informal in a lonely place a long way from towns or villages, where you do not expect to find any houses: · Amazingly, we found a really nice motel in the middle of nowhere.· We were miles from anywhere and had no idea how to get back.
American informal in a part of the country that is a long way from any town: · I'm not moving to that place - it's out in the boondocks.· Gayle lives out in the boonies - it would take at least an hour to get there.
fairly far away from any town or from where other people live, and a little difficult to find and travel to: · The house is a little out of the way, but you should be able to find it.
also off the beaten path American a place that is off the beaten track or path is a long way from the places where people usually go, which usually makes it more interesting to visit: · The little restaurant was so far off the beaten track that we almost didn't find it.· Greg likes to get off the beaten path and discover places that other tourists don't find.
a long way from where you are now or far away from the nearest town: way out in/past/beyond etc: · I live way out in Laurel Canyon.· We drove way out past Reno to the old Fielding place.
far-flung places are all connected with a particular organization, country etc but they are all very far away from it: · Our job is to organize the company's far-flung offices.· Participants come from nations as far-flung as Iceland and Japan.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
a huge hole right in the middle of the lawn The new road will go right through the middle of the wood. I got a phone call from her in the middle of the night! Everything should be sorted out by the middle of next year.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a top-ranking tennis player Use the outside lane for overtaking only. a middle manager in a computer company (=someone who manages a small part of a company) the upper register of the cello There was a hole smack in the middle of the floor. The war has split the nation in two. The government chose to steer a middle course between the two strategies (=chose a strategy that was not extreme).
a huge hole right in the middle of the lawn The new road will go right through the middle of the wood. I got a phone call from her in the middle of the night! Everything should be sorted out by the middle of next year. a top-ranking tennis player· Sebastian spoke with an upper-class accent.
· It was the middle of a long hot summer afternoon.
(=between about 40 and 60)· He was in late middle age.
(=where a particular class of people live)· She was born in a working-class area of London.
· I came from a very poor working-class background.
· A new middle class emerged after the war.
· A young couple with a baby have just moved into the house next door.
· He opened the bottom drawer and got out a T-shirt.
(=the parts inside your ear, which you use to hear sounds)· I’ve got an infection in my middle ear.
(=opinions that are not extreme that most people would agree with) Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion).
Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion). Use the outside lane for overtaking only. (=the people in charge of small groups within an organization)
a middle manager in a computer company (=someone who manages a small part of a company) (=around age 40)· Two women in early middle age sat next to him.
(=around age 60)· a well-dressed man in late middle age
(=be almost middle-aged)· a stocky, balding man who was approaching middle age
(=be middle-aged)· You need to start saving for retirement before you reach middle age.
(=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age.
· Brazil’s middle class has grown in number.
· Brazil’s middle class have grown in number.
· You’ll receive your wages at the end of the month.
· She woke up suddenly in the middle of the night.
· Teaching is regarded as a middle-class occupation.· Working-class occupations may be divided into skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled.
(=one that is between two extreme positions)· They took a middle position, favouring decentralization but with some controls.
· Her father had been an army officer of fairly high rank.
· We are in the midst of a world recession.
the upper register of the cello There was a hole smack in the middle of the floor. The war has split the nation in two. The government chose to steer a middle course between the two strategies (=chose a strategy that was not extreme).· She had a comfortable middle-class upbringing.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Mattan and the yellow jersey were right in the middle of the pack as it peddled hard in the blistering heat.· It will probably start on Boxing Day when we are right in the middle of winter.· My house is right in the middle of Stratford-upon-Avon, and I can watch the street market from my window.· And then right in the middle is the lovely old wine town of Traben-Trarbach.
NOUN· There is no middle class and little opportunity to improve one's lot.· They are mostly over age 50, middle class and overwhelmingly Protestant.· The opposition mostly represents the upper-middle class and intellectual elite.· Forecasts of the size of the world middle class are of course problematic.· It was for the upper middle class in their station wagons that rumbled over our heads at night.· But in the early sixties, Loyola was pretty mucha school for white males from the middle and upper middle class.· On this assumption, a ballpark number for the world middle class population by 2025 would be about 3. 7 billion.· Most beneficiaries of federal housing subsidies are wealthy or at least upper middle class.
· The questions of the fallen middle managers, however, are not trivial or self-centered.
· Know his likes and dislikes; know what makes him happy and sad; know his middle name.· Let's just say this: Pretension is thy middle name.· I think Serious is your middle name.
VERB· I got caught in the middle of it.· Do you understand the danger of getting caught in the middle? 7.· Those firms which get caught in the middle appear not to do so well.· Los Feliz has found itself caught in the middle of the battle.· And we, the staff, were caught in the middle.
· A polished mahogany table, big enough to seat twenty people, ran down the middle of it.· Permafrost line runs right through middle, I think.· A long narrow corridor ran down the middle of the building with doors leading off it.· Most teams like to run at the middle of the Dallas defense.· She wondered why they didn't all run together in the middle.· I can run along the middle.· The frontier of the Agenais ran right through the middle of the town.· Officials said they would lead to danger on the busy A689 which runs through the middle of the community.
· They sat together in the middle of the plane.· It sat forlornly in the middle of an arid coastal basin, lacking both a port and a railroad.· Jamieson sat down in the middle of the sofa facing the fireplace, and asked Bob to sit down too.· Dorothy sat down in the middle of the raft and held Toto in her arms.· Horne, deeply agitated by a mixture of fear, terror and forced bravado, went and sat in the middle.· Gorbachev and Reagan sat in the middle of the table on opposite sides, flanked by their aides.· A woman walked in and sat at the middle of the counter - Maxim had chosen the furthest end.· When chairs sit in the middle of a space, the back might be the first part you see.
· Pretending to be an Arab, Phillips stood in the middle of the track with a blanket over his head.· Only Ray and a high school student named Devon Franklin remained standing in the middle of the nave.· William and Anna stand in the middle of the room.· The man was standing undecided in the middle of the road like a rabbit caught in headlights at night.· The clerk was standing in the middle of the lobby, staring.· They stood in the middle of the road as we approached cautiously.· Polly was standing in the middle of the floor, her hair brush raised above her head.
· As soon as I decided not to go farther than Cambridge, I wanted to stop dead in the middle of the road.· At Third Avenue, two turning busses were stopped in the middle of the intersection.· Eventually it stopped in the middle of nowhere.· I stopped in the middle of all those steps and felt for a second just salt and sea.· When I was out shopping last year, 1 saw a guy stop in the middle of the sidewalk.· Pike stopped in the middle of the tarmac.· She stopped in the middle of a scream and the breath left her body with a groan.
· I woke in the middle of the night and walked downstairs.· I wake up in the middle of the night from a dream.· If she woke up in the middle of the night, she'd be frightened.· Powell woke Howland in the middle of the night and poured out his conviction, but it was too late.· Maureen West says her daughter is still having nightmares and waking up in the middle of the night.· I woke up in the middle of the night and took all of Jay's clothes out of the wardrobe.· I woke up in the middle of the night to find that I was completely and utterly saturated.· But there's one thing which still sometimes wakes me in the middle of the night.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the middle► the middlePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► piggy in the middle► the squeezed middle
1centre part the middle the part that is nearest the centre of something, and furthest from the sides, edges, top, bottom etcmiddle of- One young woman in the middle of the line began to cry.
- Rostov started to feel sick in the middle of the night.
- She was standing in blackness in the middle of a narrow, ice-cold stream.
- Sometime in the middle of the night I woke with a start, as Clarisa climbed on to the cot.
- The group also is in the middle of a $ 45, 000 project to renovate a pagoda in the ancient quarter.
- The grunts were in the middle of a fire mission.
- The little man was ambling along in the middle of the street, looking around him with an expression of keen interest.
- Why didn't he kiss her quite calmly in the middle of the street?
- Michael lives way out in the middle of nowhere.
- And then going to this little tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
- Another minor hockey league out in the middle of nowhere.
- Even out there, in the middle of nowhere, it was a beautiful evening.
- Even the ponds looked healthy, the little streams we crossed in the middle of nowhere.
- Eventually it stopped in the middle of nowhere.
- It was in the middle of nowhere.
- M., and we were in the middle of nowhere.
- What was I doing cavorting with boulders in the middle of nowhere?
- The vote was split right down the middle.
- We split you down the middle.
- He was supposed to be back sometime in the middle of the week.
- I guess I finished somewhere around the middle of my class.
- Janet was on her knees in the middle of the floor.
- Ken's in the middle, between Josie and Sue.
- The furnace went out in the middle of winter.
- The muffins have strawberry jam in the middle.
- He's in the middle of a meeting.
- I'm in the middle of fixing dinner -- can I call you back?
- I listened to others' crises but didn't want to accept that I was in the middle of my own.
- It was in the middle of the miners' strike, and feelings were running high.
- Mr Malik was in the middle of a group crowded round Mafouz.
- The grunts were in the middle of a fire mission.
- The kid who still enrolled at the school where he was in the middle of all that trouble.
- The Z42 is in the middle of the field on print speed.
- Todd Dexter was in the middle of the Tet Offensive near Saigon and had little time to appreciate his surroundings.
- We were in the middle of that when he was called inside to do his homework and I was sent home.
- At 40, you developed something flabby, disgusting and unavoidable called middle-aged spread and your waist disappeared along with your energy.
- Ezra leaned against the sink and stared off into the middle distance.
- Don't worry - consistency is my middle name.
- I think Serious is your middle name.
- Let's just say this: Pretension is thy middle name.
- Optimism is my middle name because, unable to agree on a name, my parents stuck a pin in a dictionary.
- Cellulite is a peculiarly female problem in which the hormone oestrogen plays a part.
- Another astute electoral move helped to win 70% of the black vote for Kennedy.
- Ashcroft also addressed concerns raised about allegations of voter intimidation and other problems in Florida that may have depressed the black vote.
- Christie Whitman got 25 percent of the black vote in New Jersey.
- George Allen received 22 percent of the black vote.
- One of the keys to the Republican victory was the black vote.
- Q: Can the Democratic Party afford to take the black vote for granted?
- The drop in the black vote was estimated to be more than one hundred thousand.
We rowed out towards the middle of the lake.in the middle (of something) Jo was standing in the middle of the room. Those are my two brothers, and that’s me in the middle. The meat was burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. a huge hole right in the middle of the lawnthrough the middle (of something) The new road will go right through the middle of the wood.down the middle (of something) Draw a line down the middle of the page.2time/event the middle the part of an event or period of time that is between the beginning and the endmiddle of events which took place around the middle of the last centuryin the middle (of something) I’m going to stay with some friends in the middle of May. He gets killed in the middle of the film.the middle of the night/day I got a phone call from her in the middle of the night!the middle of the week/month/year etc Everything should be sorted out by the middle of next year.3scale/range the middle the level or position that is between two extreme positions, for example between the best and the worst: There are plenty of small houses for sale, and quite a lot of very large ones, but very little in the middle.middle of In tests, I always seem to finish around the middle of the class.4body [countable usually singular] the part of your body around your waist and stomachsomebody’s middle He was holding a towel around his middle.5be in the middle of (doing) something to be busy doing something: Can I call you back – I’m in the middle of a meeting. I was in the middle of sorting some papers when the phone rang.6in the middle of something if you are in the middle of something, it is happening to you or around you: At that time Britain was in the middle of a recession. The company is in the middle of a takeover battle.7in the middle of nowhere a long way from the nearest big town: They live miles away, in the middle of nowhere.8divide/split something down the middle to divide something into equal halves or groups: We put all the money together and then split it down the middle. The voters are split down the middle on this issue. → piggy in the middle at piggy1(2)middle1 nounmiddle2 adjective
middlemiddle2 ●●● S1 W2 adjective [only before noun] WORD ORIGINmiddle2
Origin:
Old English middelEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A white carpet ran down the middle aisle of the church.
- I missed the middle part of the movie.
- It's in the middle drawer of the file cabinet.
- Jane was wearing a gold ring on her middle finger.
- There were three of children in my family, and I was the middle one.
- You'll find the scissors in the middle drawer of my desk.
- In the organizational hierarchy of the past, middle managers were the people who remembered things, who passed on corporate culture.
- Instead, it was a real middle class, of diverse origins, pushed to the fore by changing conditions.
- Life expectancy for all patients is middle age, and heart failure is the leading cause of death.
- Secondly, she never lived to middle age.
- The middle assassin fired even as she dropped.
- The constituency's middle ground is a mess.
- We also recruit some assistant food and beverage managers with experience directly into middle management positions.
Longman Language Activatorthe middle
the part of something, such as a space or area, a piece of writing, or a period of time, which is half way between one side and the other, or halfway between the beginning and the end: · "Did you enjoy the movie?" "It was OK but I got a little bored towards the middle."middle of: · Gary rowed out towards the middle of the lake.· It was the middle of summer.· Going through the middle of Tokyo in the rush hour can be a nightmare.
British /center American the middle of a space, area, or object, especially the exact middle: · The flower has white petals, and is deep pink at the centre.· I love chocolates with soft centers.the centre of something: · Draw a line through the center of the circle.at the centre/in the centre (of something) (=exactly in the middle of something): · A bomb has exploded in the crowded business district in the centre of the old city.right in the centre (=exactly in the centre): · The women all wore a red dot right in the centre of their foreheads.
the middle of an area, town, or city: · The hotel is located in the heart of Moscow.· a quiet village in the heart of the English countryside
the central part of a large object such as a very large rock or the Earth: · The Earth has a solid inner core 2500 km in diameter.· Only the core of the volcano remained.
in the middle · At the back there was a small garden with a fishpond in the middle.· I was never at the top of my class. I was somewhere in the middle, I suppose.in the middle of · Lizzie woke up in the middle of the night with a toothache.· At the time, the country was in the middle of an economic recession.
: the middle drawer/shelf/finger etc the one in the middle: · You'll find the scissors in the middle drawer of my desk.· Jane was wearing a gold ring on her middle finger.· There were three children in my family, and I was the middle one.
in the middle of an area, country, or town: · The houses face onto a central courtyard.· the tropical rainforest in central Africa· central London
British /center American: centre door/panel/page etc the door etc that is in the middle with others on either side: · On the center panel of the screen there is a painting of a Greek goddess.· There's usually a picture of some glamorous girl on the centre page.
British /at/in the center American exactly in the middle of something: · It was a huge room with a high ceiling and an oak table in the centre.at/in the centre of: · At the center of the atom is the nucleus.· The city of Turin stands at the centre of the Piedmontese plain.
at the middle point between two places or of a period of time or event: halfway across/between/down/up etc: · Our car broke down halfway across the bridge.· We were halfway down the mountain when it started snowing.· Joe was pretty unhappy and left the college halfway through the year.the halfway mark (=the middle point of something): · The Scots opened up a 29-17 lead, and at the halfway mark they were still in front.
in or near the middle of a period of time: · The house was built in the mid-18th century.· As the value of the US dollar fell in the mid-1980s, so did the value of UK reserves.· Let's meet again mid-week.
at the middle point of a distance, a period of time, or a set of numbers: midway between/through: · The islands lie in the Indian Ocean midway between Madagascar and Tanzania.· United took the lead midway through the first half.· At a guess, I'd say he was midway between 50 and 60.
the point that is an equal distance from either end of a process or scale: · The Redskins and the Giants were the leaders as the midpoint in the season drew near.midpoint of: · By the midpoint of the twentieth century, the economy had begun to improve.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY I try to steer a middle course between keeping control of the project and giving responsibility to others.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a top-ranking tennis player Use the outside lane for overtaking only. a middle manager in a computer company (=someone who manages a small part of a company) the upper register of the cello There was a hole smack in the middle of the floor. The war has split the nation in two. The government chose to steer a middle course between the two strategies (=chose a strategy that was not extreme).
I try to steer a middle course between keeping control of the project and giving responsibility to others. a top-ranking tennis player· Sebastian spoke with an upper-class accent.
· It was the middle of a long hot summer afternoon.
(=between about 40 and 60)· He was in late middle age.
(=where a particular class of people live)· She was born in a working-class area of London.
· I came from a very poor working-class background.
· A new middle class emerged after the war.
· A young couple with a baby have just moved into the house next door.
· He opened the bottom drawer and got out a T-shirt.
(=the parts inside your ear, which you use to hear sounds)· I’ve got an infection in my middle ear.
(=opinions that are not extreme that most people would agree with) Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion).
Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion). Use the outside lane for overtaking only. (=the people in charge of small groups within an organization)
a middle manager in a computer company (=someone who manages a small part of a company) (=around age 40)· Two women in early middle age sat next to him.
(=around age 60)· a well-dressed man in late middle age
(=be almost middle-aged)· a stocky, balding man who was approaching middle age
(=be middle-aged)· You need to start saving for retirement before you reach middle age.
(=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age.
· Brazil’s middle class has grown in number.
· Brazil’s middle class have grown in number.
· You’ll receive your wages at the end of the month.
· She woke up suddenly in the middle of the night.
· Teaching is regarded as a middle-class occupation.· Working-class occupations may be divided into skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled.
(=one that is between two extreme positions)· They took a middle position, favouring decentralization but with some controls.
· Her father had been an army officer of fairly high rank.
· We are in the midst of a world recession.
the upper register of the cello There was a hole smack in the middle of the floor. The war has split the nation in two. The government chose to steer a middle course between the two strategies (=chose a strategy that was not extreme).· She had a comfortable middle-class upbringing.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· In the middle ages, celebrations lasted from Christmas to Epiphany.· In middle age a nation seeks safety and consolidation of material gain.· There I found a respectable-looking woman of middle age sitting on a sofa, sniffing tobacco.· The Crown Prince had reached early middle age without marrying.· He also had a disinterested fascination with the records of the middle ages, especially those of the west country.· Life expectancy for all patients is middle age, and heart failure is the leading cause of death.· Preserve me from the self-confidence of a famous late middle age.· His body is less Muscle Beach than early middle age.
· They may send the middle children to Jessy's parents in an attempt to get the eldest through secondary school.· Now, for the middle child.· The wronged self Peter is the middle child of five.· Richard Nixon: A middle child who became known for diplomacy in foreign affairs, among other things.
· On the other hand, while self help by its very nature is participatory, it has a strong middle class bias.· There was for example the capacity of an expanding middle class to afford their own homes.· It is easy to pretend that the values and standard of behaviour about which I am speaking are genteel or middle class.· The new middle classes of industrial capitalism produced symbols which helped realize the value of industrial commodities.· Nevertheless their Bible was widely circulated not only among the middle classes but among the nobility.· But what about the poor and the lower middle class?· What little they spoke was in the specially reverent voice reserved by the middle classes for times of bereavement.
· How wide is the floodplain of the River Wharfe in this middle course of the valley?· Managers must steer a middle course between political correctness and political babble.· I usually steer a middle course which avoids both waste and effort.· Pendulums move to extremes before they steady to the middle course, and so do journalistic trends.· But I can find no middle course.· He steered a middle course between intimacy and aloofness which would have endeared him to the most demanding of guests.· In what ways do lower course valleys differ from middle course valleys?· Was there a middle course she could take?
· With glazed eyes he was staring into the middle distance.· Captain Samphan was walking fast across the road in the middle distance, ordering some of the troops into the paddy field.· Trees and grasses Coming to the middle distance, I now encounter trees.· His father pushed back his chair and stood and leaned back against the sink, looking into the middle distance.· Like Querelle, men in tatty soiled uniforms are flexing their muscles, while others stare vacantly into the middle distance.· Half the folks gazing placidly into the middle distance were too stoned to blink.· Few of them were caused by melancholy to sit staring slackly into the middle distance.· Clayt drew up his shoulders and stared into the middle distance, as though he were finished.
· When the cause of deafness is not solely in the outer and/or middle ear, high frequencies are likely to be affected.· In fact, an ear infection alone can cause sudden severe pain as fluid builds up in the middle ear.· Mean hearing thresholds are related mainly to the presence or absence of fluid in the middle ear.· Vibrations or sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate and these vibrations move through the middle ear to the inner ear.· Three rats in the low fibre diet group suffered from middle ear infections and were removed from the study.· An inflammation in the middle ear called otitis media can cause temporary or even permanent hearing loss.· Microtympanometry, a sensitive method of diagnosing effusions of the middle ear, could help them in this.· There is further evidence that untreated middle ear disease in childhood may have permanent effects.
· It could be Bosnia, it could be the middle east.· They could not agree on the Gulf conflict and seem to have no agreed middle east policy.· Mr. Janner I am sure that the Secretary of State recognises the sensitivities of the middle east peace process.
· I was squealing with delight at the tricks his middle finger was playing when suddenly Captain leapt on us growling.· Torn webbing between his right ring and middle fingers and a torn knee cartilage in 1992.· Pausing at the door he turned once more and extended the middle finger of his right hand towards the bed.· The hand withdrew, three middle fingers slathered.· You will often see recipients tapping the table with the three middle fingers of one hand while their cup is being filled.· The middle finger traced a heart on her lips.· When the Reclusiarch passed back again, each initiate must hold out his middle finger, pointing stiffly forward from his fist.
· He has continued to cling to the middle ground, but that ground has been shifting.· Wynns held a colorful conversation with Sierra Club representative Howard Strassner to see if they could find middle ground.· The Law can also be applied to the depth dimension, with a fulcrum in the middle ground.· But it is a middle ground that hundreds of police officers use daily.· This is the kind of argument that Clinton loves; it sets him on the middle ground.· The middle ground of reason has long been lost on this issue.· This upgrade places Dreamweaver firmly back in the middle ground without compromising the professional integrity of previous releases.· The undecided middle ground is where the doubts can be talked out.
· Macleod was attacked by both liberals and conservatives in the Legco for failing to provide sufficient tax concessions to middle income earners.· Current law restricts them to those with middle incomes and below.· On the other hand, over the range of middle incomes, the percentages again remain broadly constant.· In the low and middle income countries, life expectancy remained static at 68 years.· We had little to say to those on middle incomes whose votes decide elections.· Second, Michael Portillo's tax cuts, carefully aimed at middle income earners, will appeal on the doorstep.· Trafalgar House's Sir Eric Parker says the tax squeeze on middle income earners could hit house prices.· Items such as double glazing and cavity wall insulation are standard for middle income homes.
· The Yugo finally skidded to a halt upside down and straddling the middle lane.· She drove in the middle lane, skimming past lorries.· There he was, making a name for himself after all those years in racing's middle lane.
· We also recruit some assistant food and beverage managers with experience directly into middle management positions.· Rumors swept up from the factory floor and lofted back down again from the cubicles of middle management.· Information is now provided for various Government departments and senior and middle management throughout the organisation.· At the other extreme, you might distinguish only among top management, middle management, and the front lines.· Some companies have dispensed with the middle management function altogether.· Gordon is in customer support for a large computer company so heavy in middle management that he hardly ever works.· Again, it was the middle management ranks that suffered the severest cuts.· The post-independence generation is already in middle management positions.
· Computers are belatedly replacing thousands of clerical staff and middle managers.· In the organizational hierarchy of the past, middle managers were the people who remembered things, who passed on corporate culture.· There are no layers of middle managers relaying messages - the environment is perfect for communication and intuition.· Most of the layoffs hit middle managers, who will get severance packages of one to two years' pay and benefits.· These will be drawn up by the teacher and should relate to those set by middle managers.· But now modern information technology is making many of the former tasks of middle managers redundant.· It seems inevitable that the flattening process will continue and that middle managers will continue to be squeezed.· Indeed, there is every reason to suspect that middle managers are an endangered species.
· Only the Sunday Express, among all the middle market populars, was still a broadsheet in 1990.
· If so, no one would ever have dared to tease him about his middle name.· Once you did something notorious, they tagged you with an extra name, a middle name that was ordinarily never used.· Optimism is my middle name because, unable to agree on a name, my parents stuck a pin in a dictionary.· Where I come from, the middle name is fight.· It is essential to get full names of the client, including any middle names.· For some reason he hated that middle name of his.· Partisanship should be their middle name.· They share the same middle name.
· What happens in the middle part of each phase may seem - mistakenly - unimportant.· The humped-up middle part was clear of the water.· The crescent-shaped eyes are attached to the middle part of the head.· The middle part of Figure 1 shows a small selection of the retina enlarged.· As time goes by ... The middle part of pregnancy is the best for most women.· The good part, the early part, the middle part, the later part.
· Mr Patten scored well in the middle range, for example the town and country planning issues which most concern his own supporters.· The Presario 4000 line of desktop and mini-tower computers is aimed at the lower and middle ranges of the market.· The middle range, perhaps, was where a comfortable, accomplished actor could exist and grow.· It falls into the middle range of portable belt sanders.
· The night was dark and still and the middle road had an eerie, forbidding atmosphere.
· My own work on middle school teachers provides some support for this view.· In middle school, your children would rather attend your execution than have you attend their field trip.· Another letter from the middle school was about a visiting theatre group and asked for money as well as a tear-off slip.· Linda first saw Red at a middle school volleyball game.· Such exposure should begin in middle school and increase in intensity and focus in high school.· At the time of going press, primary and middle schools are being reorganized.· Most of the local middle schools now expose students to careers through business speakers and visits to companies.
· The only place that is well out from the banks on a river is the middle section.· The poem has three sections corresponding to the changes of rhyme, but with a peculiarity in the middle section.· The lozenge-shaped objects in the middle section of the cell are mostly mitochondria.· A lyrical middle section precedes to a repeated theme reinforced by a military drum gone mad.· Some road walking is included especially in the middle section between moors.· Try aiming for a beginning, a middle section and an ending.
· The middle way seeks to formalise, or at least make explicit, normative patterns in the general activity of reading.· In sum, the mixed economy is a middle way between the market and the command political economies.· However, some middle way between a basic inventory and a fully detailed record is possible.· To help him resolve it, he brought in General Joseph McNarney, who eventually decided on a middle way.· Essentially they are the party of the centre ground, the middle way.· Perhaps there is a middle way.· But for Labour, there seems no satisfactory middle way of electing their two top people.
· All these artists were the height of fashion in the middle years of the 19C.· She would spend her middle years turning me into the man who would redeem her failed youth.· After the hectic middle years, couples may renew or begin activities together for which there had not previously been time.· She had scrambled through the middle years of the decade.· Direct royal involvement in ecclesiastical affairs intensified from the middle years of the decade.· And sadly, many of the people it kills are in their middle years.· The reason why it is more productive in these middle years is simple.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► Middle English/French etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► piggy in the middle► the squeezed middle
1centre nearest the centre and furthest from the edge, top, end etc: - Among these was a tall firebrand of a patriot in his middle twenties.
- Owen and the Victoria Centre Owen is in his middle thirties and his working background is in education.
- While still in his middle twenties, he was offered a teaching position at an Ivy League university.
- You must be in your middle thirties.
- My middle daughter was like that, tall and slim and you could hardly tell.
- My older brother played Elvis music at his wedding, and my middle brother and I rolled our eyes.
- Now, for the middle child.
- Richard Nixon: A middle child who became known for diplomacy in foreign affairs, among other things.
- The wronged self Peter is the middle child of five.
- They may send the middle children to Jessy's parents in an attempt to get the eldest through secondary school.
- But I can find no middle course.
- He steered a middle course between intimacy and aloofness which would have endeared him to the most demanding of guests.
- How wide is the floodplain of the River Wharfe in this middle course of the valley?
- I usually steer a middle course which avoids both waste and effort.
- In sum, the mixed economy is a middle way between the market and the command political economies.
- Managers must steer a middle course between political correctness and political babble.
- Pendulums move to extremes before they steady to the middle course, and so do journalistic trends.
- To help him resolve it, he brought in General Joseph McNarney, who eventually decided on a middle way.
- At 40, you developed something flabby, disgusting and unavoidable called middle-aged spread and your waist disappeared along with your energy.
- Ezra leaned against the sink and stared off into the middle distance.
- Don't worry - consistency is my middle name.
- I think Serious is your middle name.
- Let's just say this: Pretension is thy middle name.
- Optimism is my middle name because, unable to agree on a name, my parents stuck a pin in a dictionary.
- Cellulite is a peculiarly female problem in which the hormone oestrogen plays a part.
- Another astute electoral move helped to win 70% of the black vote for Kennedy.
- Ashcroft also addressed concerns raised about allegations of voter intimidation and other problems in Florida that may have depressed the black vote.
- Christie Whitman got 25 percent of the black vote in New Jersey.
- George Allen received 22 percent of the black vote.
- One of the keys to the Republican victory was the black vote.
- Q: Can the Democratic Party afford to take the black vote for granted?
- The drop in the black vote was estimated to be more than one hundred thousand.
driving in the middle lane of the motorway the middle drawer of the filing cabinet2time/event half of the way through an event or period of time: They spent the middle part of their vacation in Florida. the middle part of the day3scale/range between two extreme levels or positions, for example between the best and worst, the biggest and smallest etc: a car in the middle price range the middle ranks of the army a middle-income family4in your middle twenties/thirties etc about 25, 35 etc years old5middle brother/child/daughter etc the brother etc who is between the oldest and the youngest6middle course/way etc a way of dealing with something that is between two opposite and often extreme waysmiddle between The party is seeking to find a middle way between extreme right-wing and left-wing policies. I try to steer a middle course between keeping control of the project and giving responsibility to others.7Middle English/French etc an old form of English, French etc, used in the Middle Ages (=between 1100 and 1500 AD)