n (1)中间(点，央，部)(point or area at the same distance from the edges or ends)[U，the]：in the～of the day/night/week/month/summer/year/century中午/子夜/周中/月中/仲夏/年中/世纪中叶;rain during the～of April 4月中旬的雨;in the～of the table/circle/room/garden/road桌子中间/圆心/屋子中央/花园中心/公路中央;the beginning，～and end of a list 一张清单的开头、中间和结尾部分;He sat in the～between his wife and his daughter. 他坐在妻子和女儿中间。in the～of the race/conversation/work/storm 比赛中/谈话中/工作进行中/暴风雨中;We left in the～of his speech.他讲了一半话，我们就走了。Father was in the very～of the movement.父亲已卷入运动之中。She was in the～of bathing the baby/washing up/making pie for dinner when her husband came in.她正忙着给婴儿洗澡/洗餐具/做晚饭的馅饼，她丈夫进来了。〖同〗center midpoint，midst;〖反〗edge，outskirts;

(2)腰部(central area of the body)[C](infml)：a man with a bulging～一腰肥肚大的男子;become/get fat round one's～腰围变粗了;seize sb round the (his)～拦腰抱住某人;a pain round sb's～某人腰痛;fifty inches round the～腰围50英寸;My shirt look a bit tight/won't meet round my～.衬衣的腰部有点瘦/腰部纽扣扣不上。〖同〗waist;

in the middle of nowhere 偏远的地方：a city/a farm/a village in the～of nowhere 偏僻的城市/农场/村庄;

adj (1)中间(央，部)的(equally distant from all the edges or both ends)[作attrib]：the～seat in a row/point of a triangle/section of a country/finger of the left hand/period of the war一排座位的中间座/一个三角形的中心/一个国家的中部/左手的中指/战争中期;She was in her～thirties.她三十五、六岁。“T”is the～letter in meter.字母“T”在“meter”这个单词中居中。～ear/finger/name中耳/中指/名与姓之间的中间名;M～States 美国中部诸州;the M～Ages/East/West(欧洲历史上的)中世纪/中东/(美国的)中西部;〖同〗central，mid，midway，halfway;〖反〗begging，end，final;

(2)中等(适中)的 (medium)： a～size/height/price 中等大小/高度/价格;a～-aged man 中年人;

follow a middle course采取折中方针：He took the～course and write a letter rather than go there or telephone.他既没亲自走一趟也没打电话，而是采取折中方法，写了一封信。

→͵middle-′aged adj 中年的;′middle-brow adj 平庸之辈的;n 文化教养一般的人;middle-′distance adj 中距离的;中距离参赛者的;′middle school n 中学，初中;′middleman n 经销商，中间人;′mid-dleweight n 中量级拳击运动员;′middling adj 中等的;一般的;the ͵middle-of-the-′road adj 走中间路线的，不走极端的;

【辨异】middle与centre的区别见CENTRE。