mid

adjective

1. Middle; central.
2. Being the part in the middle or center: in the mid Pacific.
3. Linguistics Of, relating to, or being a vowel produced with the tongue in a position approximately intermediate between high and low, as the vowel in but.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English midd; see medhyo- in Indo-European roots

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preposition

Origin:

Origin: Alteration of amid

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prefix

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from mid, middle; see mid¹

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Usage Note: Many compounds other than those entered here may be formed with mid-. In forming compounds, mid- is normally joined to the following word or element without a space or hyphen: midpoint. However, if the second element begins with a capital letter, it is always separated with a hyphen: mid-May. It is always acceptable to separate the elements with a hyphen to prevent possible confusion with another form, as, for example, to distinguish mid-den (the middle of a den) from the word midden. Note that the adjective mid¹ is a separate word, though, as is the case with any adjective, it may be joined to another word with a hyphen when used as a unit modifier: in the mid Pacific but a mid-Pacific island.