Definition of "medium" in English

noun

1. The material of the surrounding environment, e.g. solid, liquid, gas, vacuum, or a specific substance such as a solvent.

2. The materials or empty space through which signals, waves, or forces pass.

3. A format for communicating or presenting information.

4. (microbiology) A nutrient substance, commonly a solution or solid, for the growth of cells in vitro.

5. (biology, horticulture, etc.) A substance, structure, or environment in which living organisms subsist, grow or are cultured.

6. A means, channel, agency or go-between through which communication, commerce, etc is conveyed or carried on, or by which an aim is achieved.

7. (engineering) The materials used to finish a workpiece using a mass finishing or abrasive blasting process.

8. (countable, plural mediums or media) A liquid base which carries pigment in paint.

9. (painting) A means of expression, in the arts, such as a material (oil, pastel, clay, etc) or method or style (expressionism, jazz, etc).

   • Acrylics, oils, charcoal, and gouache are all mediums I used in my painting.

10. (countable, logic) The mean or middle term of a syllogism, that by which the extremes are brought into connection.

11. (countable, plural mediums or (rare, nonstandard) media) Someone who supposedly conveys information from the spirit world.

12. (countable) A middle place or degree.

    • a happy medium

13. (countable, dated) An average; sometimes the mathematical mean.

14. Anything of a middle rank or position.

noun

1. (uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.

2. (countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

3. (countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.

4. (countable, Ireland, dated, informal) A half-pint serving of Guinness (or other stout in some regions).

adjective

1. (obsolete) Arithmetically average.

2. Of intermediate size, degree, amount etc.

3. Of meat, cooked to a point greater than rare but less than well done; typically, so the meat is still red in the centre.

4. (especially clothing, food or drink) That is medium (the manufactured size).

adverb

1. To a medium extent.