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ral part or place; the middle; -- used chiefly in the objective case after in; as, in the midst of the forest. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him. Luke iv. 35. There is nothing... in the midst [of the play] which might not have been placed in the beginning. Dryden.

In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. "This fair tree amidst the garden." "Unseen amid the throng." "Amidst thick clouds." Milton. "Amidst acclamations." "Amidst the splendor and festivity of a court." Macaulay. But rather famish them amid their plenty. Shak.

A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray. "In the very midst of the affray." Motley.

See Amidst.

clause, at the beginning of the next, with an adjunct idea; as, "He retained his virtues amidst all his misfortunes -- misfortunes which no prudence could foresee or prevent."

the eyes to, or fix them upon, an object; to look; to see. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne, . . . a lamb as it had been slain. Rev. v. 6.

trail, especially of man; a gut; -- generally used in the plural. He burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. Acts i. 18.

breathing, below. Breathing place. (a) A pause. "That cæsura, or breathing place, in the midst of the verse." Sir P. Sidney. (b) A vent. -- Breathing time, pause; relaxation. Bp. Hall. -- Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a short time. Shak. -- Rough breathing (spiritus asper) (. See 2d Asper, n.…

ish; imperfectly spoken on account of emotion; as, to say a few broken words at parting. Amidst the broken words and loud weeping of those grave senators. Macaulay. Broken ground. (a) (Mil.) Rough or uneven ground; as, the troops were retarded in their advance by broken ground. (b) Ground recently opened with the plow.…

stain to the end; to continue to the end. -- To carry through. (a) To convey through the midst of. (b) To support to the end; to sustain, or keep from falling, or being subdued. "Grace will carry us . . . through all difficulties." Hammond. (c) To complete; to bring to a succesful issue; to succeed. -- To carry up, t…

bited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds. Though throned midst Latium's classic plains. Mrs. Hemans. The epithet classical, as applied to ancient authors, is determined less by the purity of their style than by the period at which they wrote. Brande & C. He [Atterbury] directed the clas…

prattle; chattering. [Scot. & North of Eng.] Emmy found herself entirely at a loss in the midst of their clavers. Thackeray.

parts of bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost. The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst. Zech. xiv. 4.

by partitions, or lines; as, the compartments of a cabinet, a house, or a garden. In the midst was placed a large compartment composed of grotesque work. Carew.

embly; a gathering formed by a voluntary or spontaneous moving and meeting in one place. Amidst the concourse were to be seen the noble ladies of Milan, in gay, fantastic cars, shining in silk brocade. Prescott.

ure was light. Bacon. On earth, join, all ye creatures, to extol Him first, him last, him midst, and without end. Milton. And most attractive is the fair result Of thought, the creature of a polished mind. Cowper.

To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect. Amidst the grove that crowns yon tufted hill. Byron. One day shall crown the alliance. Shak. To crown the whole, came a proposition. Motley.

en to the lowest of his family. Lady Hutchinson. Disdaining to decline, Slowly he falls, amidst triumphant cries. Byron. The ground at length became broken and declined rapidly. Sir W. Scott.

Attic were dialects of Greece; the Yorkshire dialect; the dialect of the learned. In the midst of this Babel of dialects there suddenly appeared a standard English language. Earle. [Charles V.] could address his subjects from every quarter in their native dialect. Prescott.

mperceptible; to vanish; -- often with out or away. Blemishes may die away and disappear amidst the brightness. Spectator.