midridt

[Early mod. E. midridde; The Cruel Brother (Child's Ballads, II. 252). middelrift = MLG. middelrif, LG. middelreff, middelriff ), the diaphragm, Save he be Fool to the midmost marrow of his bones, He will return no more. Tennyson, Pelleas and Ettarre. midnight (mid'nīt), n. and a. [ midnight , midnyght, mydnyght , also middelnizte , niht (also middelniht ) (= D. MLG. middernacht = OHG. mittinaht, MHG. mitnaht, G. mitter nacht (D. MLG. midder- , G. mitter- , orig. dat. of the adj.) = Icel. midhnætti = Sw. midnatt = Dan. midnat ), mid , middle, + niht , night.] I. n. The middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night. For whenne the Sonne is Est in tho part yes, toward IMG:content-0612.png:[blocks in formation] Paradys terrestre, it is thanne mydnyght , in oure parties o midship (mid's hip), a . [ mid + ship ; orig. this half, for the rowndene of the Erthe. Mandeville , Travels, p. 303. The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve. Shak ., M. N. D., v. 1. 370. due to midships.] Being or belonging to the middle of a a sh ship: as, a midship beam. - Midship bend, midship frame. Same as dead - flat. II. a. Pertaining to or occurring in the mid midshipman (mid's hip-man), n.; pl. midship dle of the night: as, midnight studies. We spend our mid-day sweat, our midnight oil, We tire the night in thought, the day in toil. Quarles, Emblems, ii. 2. Forth at midnight hour he fares, the silent tomb desert Const an tine and Arete (Child's Ballads, I. 308). ing. men (-men). [So called with ref. to his place or station when on duty aboard ship, which is amidships or abreast the mainmast; midship mite (mid's hip-mīt), n. [ midship -s + mite2 , this being substituted for man .] A very small midshipman. [Ludicrous.] Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, And the mate of the "Nancy" brig, And a bo's un tight, and a midship mite . 21st of June (astronomically the beginning of summer), because in Great Britain summer is considered as beginning with May; specifical- ly, midsummer day, June 24th. See midsummer day , below. On midsummer eve, or the eve of the feast of St. John Baptist (June 24th), it was the custom in former times to kindle fires (called St. John's fires ) upon hills in celebration of the summer solstice. As full of spirit as the month of May, And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer . "On Midsummer next," the dam's el said, "Which is June the twenty-four." Midsummer alet, the feast of midsummer day. And now, next Midsummer ale , I may serve for a fool. Antiquary, Old Plays, X. 91. (Nares.) Midsummer daisy. Same as oreye daisy (which see, under daisy ). - Midsummer day, the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24th). Various superstitious practices and wild festivities were long observed on occasion.- Midsummer madne . (a) The wild and indecorous methods of celebrating midsummer eve for- merly common in Europe. (b) Lunacy. Why, this is very midsummer madne . Shak., T. N., iii. 4. 61. midsummer-men (mid's um"ėr-men), n . The livelong, Sedum Telephium : said to have been used by girls on midsummer eve to test their lovers' fidelity. [Local, Eng.] mid summery (mid's umer-i), a. [ one who is superior to those below him and va al to those above him. Imp . Dict. Mid terrane ant (mid-te-ră ne-an), a . [ mid1 + terrane an ; substituted for Mediterranean .] Same as Mediterranean . North-ward [bounded] with narrow Mid - terrane an Sea, Which from rich Europe parts poor Africa. Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Colonies. Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. 3.), 1. 2242. midvein (mid'vān), n. [ And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them. Mat. xviii. 2. The king in the middest of his play strooke with a tennis ball. Coryat, Crudities, I. 133. Whole we call that, and perfect, which hath a beginning, a mid'st , and an end. B. Jonson, Discoveries. In the midst of rigour I would beseech ye to think of mercy. Milton , Church-Government, ii., Concl. In my midst of, in the midst of my. [Rare.] And in my midst of sorrow and heart-grief To show them feats. IMG:content-0613.png:[blocks in formation] This chan on took his cole, with harde grace, And leyde it aboven on the midward Of the cro e let. He standing at the hede in the mydewarde of the saide hers. Booke of Precedence (E. E. T. S., extra ser.), i. 30. midwardt (mid'wärd), adv . [ midward , a.] In or toward the middle. mid-watch (mid'woch), n. Naut.: (a) The pe- riod of time from midnight to 4 A. M. (b) The officers and men on duty during that time. See midway (mid'wā), n . and a. [ mydwaye , mydweye = D. midweg = MLG. midwech (cf. G. mittelweg = Sw. medelväg = Dan. middelvej ); O pity and shame, that they who to live well Enter'd so fair should turn aside to tread Paths indirect, or in the mid way faint! IMG:content-0614.png:[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors] miet, v. t. [ mien , myen , mier , micare , pound into pieces, crumb, mica , a crumb: see mica1 .] To pound into small pieces; crumb; crumble. Cath . Ang . , p. 239. miel de palm a. [Sp.: see mell2 , de2 , palm2 .] Palm-honey. See coquito . mien (men), n. [Formerly also mein , meane , meen, mine ; = MD. mijne , D. mine = G. miene = Sw. min = Dan. mine , mine , air, look, mien, men a , behavior, carriage, de- No midway Shak ., A. and C., III. 4. 18. II. a. Being in the middle of the way or dis- The crows, and choughs, that wing the midway air, Show scarce so gro as beetles. Shak ., Lear, iv. 6. 13. IMG:content-0615.png:[blocks in formation] The midstream 's his, I, creeping by the side, Am shouldered off by his impetuous tide. menare, conduct, lead, carry, follow up, drive, minar i , threaten: see menace and mine2 .] A person's air, manner, or expre ion of coun- tenance; look; bearing; appearance; carriage. Her rare demeanure, which him seemed So farre the meane of shepheards to excell. Spenser, F. Q., VI. ix. 11. No persons must appear here in the European dre ; and as a Christian is known by his mein , no strangers dare Pococke , Description of the East, I. 19. The elder dame midway (mid'wa), adv . [= MLG. midweghe , go out of the streets they are used to frequent. midweges = Dan. midtvejs ; from the noun.] In the middle of the way or distance; half-way. He... will to-morrow with his trumpet call, Midway between your tents and walls of Troy, To rouse a Grecian that is true in love. Was of majestic mien , with calm dark eyes. Bryant , Tale of Cloudland. =Syn. Aspect, demeanor, deportment, port. Shak ., T. and C., i. 3. 278. miert, n. [ myere , miour , myour , She saw him rashly spring, And midway up in danger cling. Moore , Lalla Rookh, Fire-worshippers. mid wicket (mid' wik"et), n. In cricket , a fielder who stands nearly abreast the bowler, at some distance to the right or left. (See diagram un- der cricket .) Mid wicket on or mid - on stands to the left of the batsman who is striking, mid- wicket off or mid - off to his right. miff When a little quarrel or mif, as it is vulgarly called, arose between them. Fielding, Tom Jones, iii. 6. ( Davies.) II. a. Vexed; offended; angry. [Rare.] Being miff with him myself. W. Taylor , Mem. by Robberds, I. 477. ( Davies .) miff (mif), v . t. [ miff , n.] To give a slight offense to; displease: nearly always in the past participle: as, she was somewhat miffed . [Colloq.]