MEDIUM (media)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: media   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does medium mean? 

• MEDIUM (noun)
  The noun MEDIUM has 11 senses:

1. a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

2. the surrounding environment

3. an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication

4. (bacteriology) a nutrient substance (solid or liquid) that is used to cultivate micro-organisms

5. a liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter

6. (biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed

7. an intervening substance through which something is achieved

8. a state that is intermediate between extremes; a middle position

9. someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead

10. (usually plural) transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public

11. an occupation for which you are especially well suited

  Familiarity information: MEDIUM used as a noun is familiar.

• MEDIUM (adjective)
  The adjective MEDIUM has 2 senses:

1. around the middle of a scale of evaluation

2. (meat) cooked until there is just a little pink meat inside

  Familiarity information: MEDIUM used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEDIUM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

instrumentality; instrumentation (an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

cold medium; cool medium (a medium that usually, but not always, provides little involvement together with substantial stimulus; includes speech, television, cartoons)

hot medium (a medium that usually, but not always, provides complete involvement together without considerable stimulus; includes radio, film, photography)

vehicle (a medium for the expression or achievement of something)

paper (a medium for written communication)

celluloid; cinema; film (a medium that disseminates moving pictures)

print media (a medium that disseminates printed matter)

data-storage medium; storage medium (a medium for storing information)

telecom; telecommunication ((often plural) systems used in transmitting messages over a distance electronically)

album; record album (one or more recordings issued together; originally released on 12-inch phonograph records (usually with attractive record covers) and later on cassette audiotape and compact disc)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The surrounding environment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Context example:

fish require an aqueous medium

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

environment; environs; surround; surroundings (the area in which something exists or lives)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

communicating; communication (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

Domain member category:

ban; censor (forbid the public distribution of ( a movie or a newspaper))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

aether; ether (a medium that was once supposed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves)

air; airwave (medium for radio and television broadcasting)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(bacteriology) a nutrient substance (solid or liquid) that is used to cultivate micro-organisms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

culture medium; medium

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

food; nutrient (any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue)

Domain category:

bacteriology (the branch of medical science that studies bacteria in relation to disease)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

agar; nutrient agar (any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

liquid (a substance that is liquid at room temperature and pressure)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

magilp; megilp (a medium for oil-paints; linseed oil mixed with mastic varnish or turpentine)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

substance (the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

contrast material; contrast medium (a substance that is opaque to x-rays; when administered it allows a radiologist to examine the organ or tissue it fills)

Sense 7

Meaning:

An intervening substance through which something is achieved

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Context example:

the dissolving medium is called a solvent

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

substance (the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

dissolvent; dissolver; dissolving agent; resolvent; solvent (a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A state that is intermediate between extremes; a middle position

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

a happy medium

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)

Derivation:

medial (relating to or situated in or extending toward the middle)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

medium; sensitive; spiritualist

Context example:

he consulted several mediums

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

psychic (a person apparently sensitive to things beyond the natural range of perception)

Sense 10

Meaning:

(usually plural) transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

mass medium; medium

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

transmission (communication by means of transmitted signals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medium"):

broadcast medium; broadcasting (a medium that disseminates via telecommunications)

Sense 11

Meaning:

An occupation for which you are especially well suited

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

medium; metier

Context example:

in law he found his true metier

Hypernyms ("medium" is a kind of...):

business; job; line; line of work; occupation (the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money)

• MEDIUM (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Around the middle of a scale of evaluation

Synonyms:

average; intermediate; medium

Context example:

medium bombers

Similar:

moderate (being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(meat) cooked until there is just a little pink meat inside

Similar:

cooked (having been prepared for eating by the application of heat)

 Context examples 

Prose was certainly an easier medium.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

A progressive tear in the aorta characterized by a separation of the media layer from the outer-most layer.

(Aortic Dissection, NCI Thesaurus)

The smooth muscle tissue present in the tunica media which is the middle layer of the wall of an artery.

(Artery Smooth Muscle Tissue, NCI Thesaurus)

A class of professional or vocational positions of employment that involve arts, design, entertainment, sports or media.

(Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media Occupations, NCI Thesaurus)

7H10 growth medium that is enriched by the addition of an enzymatic digest of casein.

(Middlebrook 7H11 Growth Medium, NCI Thesaurus)

The smooth muscle tissue present in the tunica media which is the middle layer of the aortic wall.

(Aorta Smooth Muscle Tissue, NCI Thesaurus)

A WHO grade I meningioma characterized by the presence of small and medium sized vessels that predominate over the meningioma cells.

(Angiomatous Meningioma, NCI Thesaurus)

It all began on June 27, when Matty Roberts posted a event invitation on social media site Facebook.

(Millions don't turn up to 'storm' US airbase for extraterrestrial evidence, Wikinews)

This ninth house area of the chart is also about sharing your specialized knowledge with others, so the media relates to this house.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Middle ear infections, or acute otitis media, are a common childhood illness.

(No benefit to shortening ear infection treatment, NIH)