Medium
Medium , noun
[Latin medium the middle, from medius middle. See Mid, and compare Medius.]
1.
That which lies in the middle, or between other things; intervening body or quantity.
(a)
Middle place or degree; mean.
The just medium... lies between pride and abjection.
(b)
(Mathematics) See Mean.
(c)
(Mathematics) The mean or middle term of a syllogism; that by which the extremes are brought into connection.
2.
A substance through which an effect is transmitted from one thing to another; as, air is the common medium of sound.
The condition upon which any event or action occurs; necessary means of motion or action; that through or by which anything is accomplished, conveyed, or carried on;
in animal magnetism, spiritualism, etc., a person through whom the action of another being is said to be manifested and transmitted.
Whether any other liquors, being made mediums, cause a diversity of sound from water, it may be tried.
I must bring together
All these extremes; and must remove all mediums.
3.
An average. [Rare]
A medium of six years of war, and six years of peace.
4.
A trade name for printing and writing paper of certain sizes. See Paper.
5.
(Painting) The liquid vehicle with which dry colors are ground and prepared for application.
6.
(Microbiology) A source of nutrients in which a microorganism is placed to permit its growth, cause it to produce substances, or observe its activity under defined conditions; also called culture medium or growth medium. The medium is usually a solution of nutrients in water, or a similar solution solidified with gelatin or agar.
7.
A means of transmission of news, advertising, or other messages from an information source to the public, also called a news medium, such as a newspaper or radio; used mostly in the plural form, that is news media or media. See 1st media{2}.
Collocations (3)
Circulating medium , a current medium of exchange, whether coin, bank notes, or government notes.
Ethereal medium (Physics) , the ether.
Medium of exchange , that which is used for effecting an exchange of commodities -- money or current representatives of money.
Medium , adjective
Having a middle position or degree; mean; intermediate; medial; as, a horse of medium size; a decoction of medium strength.