Part 7034

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Middle-ground</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dle-ground`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Paint.)</fld> <def>That part of a picture between the foreground and the background.</def>

<h1>Middleman</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dle*man</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Middlemen</plw> <tt>(<?/)</tt>.</plu>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>An agent between two parties; a broker; a go-between; any dealer between the producer and the consumer; in Ireland, one who takes land of the proprietors in large tracts, and then rents it out in small portions to the peasantry.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A person of intermediate rank; a commoner.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Mil.)</fld> <def>The man who occupies a central position in a file of soldiers.</def>

<h1>Middlemost</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dle*most`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Cf. <er>Midmost</er>.]</ety> <def>Being in the middle, or nearest the middle; midmost.</def>

<h1>Middler</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dler</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One of a middle or intermediate class in some schools and seminaries.</def>

<h1>Middling</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dling</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Of middle rank, state, size, or quality; about equally distant from the extremes; medium; moderate; mediocre; ordinary.</def> "A town of but <i>middling</i> size."

<i>Hallam.</i>

<blockquote>Plainly furnished, as beseemed the <b>middling</b> circumstances of its inhabitants. <i>Hawthorne.</i></blockquote>

-- <wordforms><wf>Mid"dling*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>Mid"dling*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt></wordforms>

<h1>Middlings</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dlings</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n. pl.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A combination of the coarser parts of ground wheat the finest bran, separated from the fine flour and coarse bran in bolting; -- formerly regarded as valuable only for feed; but now, after separation of the bran, used for making the best quality of flour. <i>Middlings</i> contain a large proportion of gluten.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>In the southern and western parts of the United States, the portion of the hog between the ham and the shoulder; bacon; -- called also <altname>middles</altname>.</def>

<i>Bartlett.</i>

<h1>Middy</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"dy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Middies</plw> <tt>(<?/)</tt></plu>. <def>A colloquial abbreviation of <altname>midshipman</altname>.</def>

<h1>Midfeather</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"feath`er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Steam Boilers)</fld> <def>A vertical water space in a fire box or combustion chamber.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Mining)</fld> <def>A support for the center of a tunnel.</def>

<h1>Midgard</h1> <Xpage=922>

<hw>Mid"gard`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Icel. <ets>mi&edh;gar&edh;r</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Scand. Myth.)</fld> <def>The middle space or region between heaven and hell; the abode of human beings; the earth.</def>