NYT Dictionary

MIDDLE

/ˈmɪdl̩/
NounAdjectiveVerbMID-dlemid-dle · 2 syllablesGrade 4

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2023, 2024, 2026

Meaning

A centre, midpoint.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *midjō Proto-Germanic *-ilą Proto-Germanic *midlą Old English middel Middle English myddel English middle From Middle English myddel, middel, from Old English middel (“middle, centre, waist”), from Proto-Germanic *midlą, *midilą, *medalą (“middle”), a diminutive of Proto-Germanic *midjō (“middle, midst”) (compare *midjaz (“mid, middle”, adjective)), from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (“between, in the middle, middle”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Middel (“middle”), West Frisian mul (“middle”), Dutch middel (“means; medicine, cure”), German mittel (“middle”, adjective), Mittel (“means; medicament, remedy”, noun), Luxembourgish Mëttel (“means, method; medicament”), Vilamovian mytuł (“middle”), Yiddish מיטל (mitl, “middle”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk middel (“means”), Icelandic meðal (“average; means, medicine”), Swedish medel (“average, mean, middle”). See also mid.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

centrecentermidstmidpointhearteyemidriffmidsectionmediatehalfway

Antonyms

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 5 recorded puzzles:

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