Midgard Mid"gard` noun [ Icelandic miðgarðr .] (Scand. Myth.) The middle space or region between heaven and hell; the abode of human beings; the earth.

Midgard Mid"gard (mĭd"gärd) noun Also Mid"garth (-gär&thlig;), Mith"garthr ( Icelandic me&thlig;"gär&thlig;r') . [ Icelandic miðgarðr .] (Teut. Myth.) The middle space or region between heaven and hell, the abode of human beings; the earth.

Midge Midge noun [ Middle English migge , Anglo-Saxon mycge ; akin to Old Saxon muggia , Dutch mug , German mücke , Old High German mucca , Icelandic m... , Swedish mygga , mygg , Danish myg ; perhaps named from its buzzing; confer Greek ... to low, bellow.] (Zoology)

1. Any one of many small, delicate, long- legged flies of the Chironomus , and allied genera, which do not bite. Their larvæ are usually aquatic.

2. A very small fly, abundant in many parts of the United States and Canada, noted for the irritating quality of its bite.

» The name is also applied to various other small flies. See Wheat midge , under Wheat .

Midget Midg"et noun [ Dim. of midge .]

1. (Zoology) A minute bloodsucking fly. [ Local, U. S.]

2. A very diminutive person.

Midgut Mid"gut` noun [ Mid , adjective + gut .] (Anat.) The middle part of the alimentary canal from the stomach, or entrance of the bile duct, to, or including, the large intestine.

Midheaven Mid"heav`en noun 1. The midst or middle of heaven or the sky.

2. (Astron.) The meridian, or middle line of the heavens; the point of the ecliptic on the meridian.

Midland Mid"land adjective 1. Being in the interior country; distant from the coast or seashore; as, midland towns or inhabitants. Howell.

2. Surrounded by the land; mediterranean.

And on the midland sea the French had awed.

Dryden.

Midland Mid"land noun The interior or central region of a country; -- usually in the plural. Drayton.

Midmain Mid"main` noun The middle part of the main or sea. [ Poetic] Chapman.

Midmost Mid"most` adjective [ Middle English middemiste . Confer Foremost .] Middle; middlemost.

Ere night's midmost , stillest hour was past.

Byron.

Midnight Mid"night` noun [ Anglo-Saxon midniht .] The middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night.

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve.

Shak.

Midnight Mid"night` adjective Being in, or characteristic of, the middle of the night; as, midnight studies; midnight gloom. " Midnight shout and revelry." Milton.

Midnight sun Mid"night` sun The sun shining at midnight in the arctic or antarctic summer.

Midrash Mid·rash" noun ; plural Midrashim , Midrashoth . [ Hebrew , explanation.] A talmudic exposition of the Hebrew law, or of some part of it.

Midrib Mid"rib` noun (Botany) A continuation of the petiole, extending from the base to the apex of the lamina of a leaf.

Midriff Mid"riff (mĭd"rĭf) noun [ Anglo-Saxon midhrif ; midd mid, middle + hrif bowels, womb; akin to OFries. midref midriff, rif , ref , belly, Old High German href body, and to Latin corpus body. See Corpse .] (Anat.) See Diaphragm , noun , 2.

Smote him into the midriff with a stone.

Milton.

Mid" sea" or Mid"-sea" The middle part of the sea or ocean. Milton.

The Mid-sea , the Mediterranean Sea. [ Obsolete]

Midship Mid"ship` adjective Of or pertaining to, or being in, the middle of a ship.

Midship beam (Nautical) , the beam or timber upon which the broadest part of a vessel is formed. -- Midship bend , the broadest frame in a vessel. Weale.

Midshipman Mid"ship`man noun ; plural Midshipmen

1. (a) Formerly, a kind of naval cadet, in a ship of war, whose business was to carry orders, messages, reports, etc., between the officers of the quarter-deck and those of the forecastle, and render other services as required. (b) In the English naval service, the second rank attained by a combatant officer after a term of service as naval cadet. Having served three and a half years in this rank, and passed an examination, he is eligible to promotion to the rank of lieutenant. (c) In the United States navy, the lowest grade of officers in line of promotion, being graduates of the Naval Academy awaiting promotion to the rank of ensign.

2. (Zoology) An American marine fish of the genus Porichthys , allied to the toadfish.

Cadet midshipman , formerly a title distinguishing a cadet line officer from a cadet engineer at the U. S. Naval Academy. See under Cadet . -- Cadet midshipman , formerly, a naval cadet who had served his time, passed his examinations, and was awaiting promotion; -- now called, in the United States, midshipman ; in England, sublieutenant .

Midships Mid"ships` adverb [ For amidships .] (Nautical) In the middle of a ship; -- properly amidships .

Midships Mid"ships` noun plural (Nautical) The timbers at the broadest part of the vessel. R. H. Dana, Jr.

Midst Midst noun [ From middest , in the middest , for older in middes , where -s is adverbial (orig. forming a genitive), or still older a midde , a midden , on midden . See Mid , and confer Amidst .]

1. The interior or central part or place; the middle; -- used chiefly in the objective case after in ; as, in the midst of the forest.

And when the devil had thrown him in the midst , he came out of him.

Luke iv. 35.

There is nothing . . . in the midst [ of the play] which might not have been placed in the beginning.

Dryden.

2. Hence, figuratively, the condition of being surrounded or beset; the press; the burden; as, in the midst of official duties; in the midst of secular affairs.

» The expressions in our midst , in their midst , etc., are avoided by some good writers, the forms in the midst of us , in the midst of them , etc., being preferred.

Syn. -- Midst , Middle . Midst in present usage commonly denotes a part or place surrounded on enveloped by or among other parts or objects (see Amidst ); while middle is used of the center of length, or surface, or of a solid, etc. We say in the midst of a thicket; in the middle of a line, or the middle of a room; in the midst of darkness; in the middle of the night.

Midst Midst preposition In the midst of; amidst. Shak.

Midst Midst adverb In the middle. [ R.] Milton.

Midsummer Mid"sum`mer noun [ Anglo-Saxon midsumor .] The middle of summer. Shak.

Midsummer daisy (Botany) , the oxeye daisy.

Midward Mid"ward adjective Situated in the middle.

Midward Mid"ward adverb In or toward the midst.

Midway Mid"way` noun The middle of the way or distance; a middle way or course. Shak.

Paths indirect, or in the midway faint.

Milton.

Midway Mid"way` adjective Being in the middle of the way or distance; as, the midway air. Shak.

Midway Mid"way` adverb In the middle of the way or distance; half way. "She met his glance midway ." Dryden.

Midweek Mid"week` noun The middle of the week. Also used adjectively.

Midwife Mid"wife` noun ; plural Midwives . [ Middle English midwif , from Anglo-Saxon mid with (akin to Greek ...) + ... woman, wife. Properly, the woman or wife who is attendant upon a woman in childbirth. See Meta- , and Wife .] A woman who assists other women in childbirth; a female practitioner of the obstetric art.

Midwife Mid"wife` transitive verb To assist in childbirth.

Midwife Mid"wife` intransitive verb To perform the office of midwife.

Midwifery Mid"wife`ry noun 1. The art or practice of assisting women in childbirth; obstetrics.

2. Assistance at childbirth; help or coöperation in production.

Midwinter Mid"win`ter noun [ Anglo-Saxon midwinter .] The middle of winter. Dryden.

Midwive Mid"wive` (mĭd"wicv`) transitive verb To midwife. [ Obsolete]

Mien Mien (mēn) noun [ French mine ; perhaps from sane source as mener to lead; confer English demean , menace , mine , noun ] Aspect; air; manner; demeanor; carriage; bearing.

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien ,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen.

Pope.

Miff Miff noun [ Confer Prov. German muff sullenness, sulkiness, muffen to be silky, muffïg sullen, pouting.] A petty falling out; a tiff; a quarrel; offense. Fielding.

Miff Miff transitive verb To offend slightly. [ Colloq.]

Might Might (mīt), imperfect of May . [ Anglo-Saxon meahte , mihte .]

Might Might noun [ Anglo-Saxon meaht , miht , from the root of magan to be able, English may ; akin to Dutch magt , Old Saxon maht , German macht , Icelandic māttr , Goth. mahts . √103. See May , v. ] Force or power of any kind, whether of body or mind; energy or intensity of purpose, feeling, or action; means or resources to effect an object; strength; force; power; ability; capacity.

What so strong,
But wanting rest, will also want of might ?

Spenser.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might .

Deut. vi. 5.

With might and main . See under 2d Main .

Mightful Might"ful adjective Mighty. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Mightily Might"i·ly adverb [ From Mighty .]

1. In a mighty manner; with might; with great earnestness; vigorously; powerfully.

Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily .

Col. i. 29.

2. To a great degree; very much.

Practical jokes amused us mightily .

Hawthorne.

Mightiness Might"i·ness noun 1. The quality of being mighty; possession of might; power; greatness; high dignity.

How soon this mightiness meets misery.

Shak.

2. Highness; excellency; -- with a possessive pronoun, a title of dignity; as, their high mightinesses .

Mightless Might"less adjective Without; weak. [ Obsolete]

Mighty Might"y adjective [ Compar. Mightier ; superl. Mightiest .] [ Anglo-Saxon meahtig , mihtig ; akin to German mächtig , Goth. mahteigs . See Might , noun ]

1. Possessing might; having great power or authority.

Wise in heart, and mighty in strength.

Job ix. 4.

2. Accomplished by might; hence, extraordinary; wonderful. "His mighty works." Matt. xi. 20.

3. Denoting an extraordinary degree or quality in respect of size, character, importance, consequences, etc. "A mighty famine." Luke xv. 14. "Giants of mighty bone." Milton.

Mighty was their fuss about little matters.

Hawthorne.

Mighty Might"y noun ; plural Mighties . A warrior of great force and courage. [ R. & Obsolete] 1 Chron. xi. 12.

Mighty Might"y adverb In a great degree; very. [ Colloq.] "He was mighty methodical." Jeffrey.

We have a mighty pleasant garden.

Doddridge.

Migniard Mign"iard adjective [ French mignard , akin to mignon . See Minion .] Soft; dainty. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Migniardise Mign"iard·ise noun [ French mignardise .] Delicate fondling. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter M > Page 64 of 126.
« Previous ¦56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 ¦ Next »