Lexical Definition

‎μέσος‎ mésos (mes'-os) midst ^G:A
from ‎μετά‎

among, X before them, between, + forth, mid(-day, -night), midst, way.

• middle (as an adjective or (neuter) noun)

Abbott-Smith

μέσος, -η, -ον, [in LXX chiefly for תָּוֶךְ;]
middle, in the middle or midst;
1. prop., as an adj.: Lk 23:45, Jo 19:18, Ac 1:18; c. gen. pl., Lk 22:55, Jo 1:26; gen. temp. (Bl., § 36, 13), μέσης νυκτός, Mt 25:6; μ. ἡμέρας, Ac 26:13.
2. In adverbial phrases, neut., μέσον, τὸ μ., as subst.: ἀνὰ μέσον, c. gen., between (cl.; in LXX: Ge 1:4, al.), elliptically (but v. M, Pr., 99), I Co 6:5; = ἐν μ., among, in the midst of (Bl., § 39, 2; 40, 8; cf. in LXX: Jos 19:1, Si 27:2), Mt 13:25, Mk 7:31, Re 7:17; διὰ μέσου, c. gen., Lk 4:30; διὰ μέσον (Rec. -ου, v. Bl., § 42, 1), between, Lk 17:11 (ICC, in l.); εἰς τὸ μ. (v.s. εἰς), Mk 3:3, Lk 4:35 5:19 6:8, Jo 20:19, 26; εἰς μ., Mk 14:60; ἐν τῷ μ., Mt 14:6; ἐν μ., 3, 9], Ac 4:7; c, gen. loc., Mk 6:47, Lk 21:21 22:55, Ac 17:22, He 2:12(LXX), Re 4:6 5:6 22:2. c. gen. pl., Mt 10:16 18:2, 20, Mk 9:36, Lk 2:46 8:7 10:3 22:27 24:36, Ac 1:15 2:22 27:21, I Th 2:7, Re 1:13 2:1 5:6 6:6; κατὰ μέσον τ. νυκτός, Ac 27:27 (Bl., § 47, 6); ἐκ τοῦ μ. (Lft., in l.; Deiss., BS, 252 f.), Col 2:14; ἐκ μ., II Th 2:7; ἐκ τοῦ μ., c. gen., Mt 13:49, Ac 17:33 23:10, I Co 5:2, II Co 6:17.
3. Neut., μέσον, adverbially, c. gen., in the midst of, Mt 14:24 (WH, txt., R, mg., aliter), Phl 2:15 (διὰ μέσου—v. supr.—also Jo 8:50, R, mg.).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

μέσος, η, ον,

also [μέσος, μεσακόθεν)">Refs 4th c.AD+]; Epic dialect μέσσος (also Aeolic dialect, [Refs 7th c.BC+], Boeotian dialect, Cretan dialect μέττος, [Refs 3rd c.BC+] ii b 2 [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, in the middle,

__I of Space, especially with Nouns, of the middle point or part, μ. σάκος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐρανός zenith, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. ἀπήνης from mid chariot, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν αἰθέρι μ. in mid-air, [Refs]; μ. μετώπῳ in the middle of the forehead, [Refs 1st c.AD+]: in Prose frequently preceding the Article, κατὰ μέσον τὸν σταθμόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐκ μ. τῆς νήσου, κατὰ μ. τὴν νῆσον, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ τμάματος at the middle point of the segment, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: sometimes following the Noun, ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ μέσῃ [Refs 4th c.BC+]: less frequently midmost, central, of three or more objects, μ. ὁδός [Refs 6th c.BC+]; ὁ μ. [δάκτυλος] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ μ. στῖφος the central division of the army, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέσον, τό, centre, ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ μ. φορά [Refs 4th c.AD+]
__I.b with a Verb, ἔχεται μ. by the middle, by the waist, proverbial from the wrestling-ring, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.c with genitive, midway between, ἑνὸς καὶ πλήθους τὸ ὀλίγον μ. [μέσος ἀπὸ [τοῦ κρατῆρος] τοῦ τε πέτρου “OC” 1595. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.2 of Time, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. ἡλικία middle age, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέσος ἀκμῆς variant in [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__I.3 metaphorically, impartial, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.3.b inter-mediate, frequently with genitive, μ. τις γέγονα χρηματιστὴς τοῦ τε πάππου καὶ τοῦ πατρός [Refs 5th c.BC+]; indeterminate, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; τὰ μ. things indifferent (neither good nor bad), [Refs]; of words such as τύχη, [Refs]; ζῴδια (neither lucky nor unlucky) [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__I.3.c Grammars, of Verbs, middle, [Refs]; μ. διάθεσις, σχήματα, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; μ. ἐνεστώς present middle, [Refs]
__I.3.d Grammars, of consonants, Latin mediae, i. e. β ¯ γ ¯ δ ¯, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: but also of semi-vowels, [Refs 5th c.BC+], i. e. the circumflex, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II middling, moderate,
__II.1 of size, μέσοι ὀφθαλμοί, ὦτα, γλῶττα, [Refs]; μ. μεγέθει[Refs 3rd c.BC+]; μ. alone, of middle height, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__II.2 of class or quality, πάντων μέσ᾽ ἄριστα [Refs 6th c.BC+]; μ. ἀνήρ a man of middle rank, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ μ., between οἱ εὔποροι and οἱ ἄποροι, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; μ. [πολιτεία[Refs 2nd c.AD+]; mediocre, [Refs 5th c.BC+] adverb μέσως, ἱκανόν fairly adequate, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__III μέσον, τό, midst, intervening space, mostly with Preps.,
__III.a ἐν μέσσῳ, ={ἐν μεταιχμίῳ}, [Refs 8th c.BC+]in the midst, [NT]; ἡ 'ν μέσῳ [μοῖρα] σῴζει πόλεις the middle class, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὰ ἐν μ. what went between, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ ἐν μ. λόγοι the intervening words, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν μ. ἡμῶν καὶ βασιλέως between us and him, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν μ. νυκτῶν at midnight, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἆθλα κείμεν᾽ ἐν μέσῳ offered for competition (compare below b), [Refs 6th c.BC+]; ἡ τιμὴ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἔστω deposited with the court, [Refs 3rd c.BC+] both collectively and severally, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν μέσῳ εἶναι τοῦ συμμεῖξαι to stand in the way of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ γὰρ θάλαττα ἐν τῷ μ. is an obstacle, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; compare ἰμέσος.
__III.b ἐς μέσον, ἐς μ. ἀμφοτέρων, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀνδρὶ δὲ νικηθέντι γυναῖκ᾽ ἐς μέσσον ἔθηκε deposited her as a prize (compare above a),[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐς μ. ἵεσθαι, ἐλθεῖν, παρελθεῖν, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐς τὸ μ. φέρειν bring forward publicly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐς μ. Πέρσῃσι καταθεῖναι τὰ πρήγματα to give up the power in common to all, [Refs]
__III.c ἐκ τοῦ μέσου away, ἐκ μ. ἀνελεῖν [NT+4th c.BC+]; also ἐκ μ. a half, ἔτη ὀκτὼ καὶ ἔνατον ἐκ μ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also ἐκ μ. κατῆστο remained in the middle, i. e. neutral [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.d διὰ μέσου between, τὸ διὰ μ. ἔθνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; διὰ μ. γενέσθαι intervene, of an event, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ τούτων διὰ μ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also οἱ διὰ μέσου the middle party, the moderates, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ διὰ μ. the middle class, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of Time, ὁ διὰ μ. χρόνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ διὰ μ. ξύμβασις an interim agreement, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; διὰ μέσου, as a figure of speech, use of parenthesis, [Refs]
__III.e ἀν (ὀν) τὸ μ. in the midst, [Refs 7th c.BC+]; ἀνὰ μέσον midway between, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; θρὶξ ἀνὰ μέσσον [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; also ἀνὰ μέσον φέρε, ={μετρίως}, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.f κατὰ μέσσον, = {ἐν μέσῳ}, [Refs 8th c.BC+] between, [Refs]
__III.2 μέσον, τό, difference, τὸ μ. πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας καὶ ἐλαχίστας the average between.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πολλὸν τὸ μ., πολὺ τὸ μ., the difference is great, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ μ. οὐδὲν τῆς ἔχθρης ἐστί there is no middle course for our enmity, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.3 middle state, mean, τὸ μ. καὶ τὸ εὖ [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ποιήματα μέσα, opposed to ὀγκώδη, in the (correct) mean, [Refs 1st c.BC+]. adverb -ως, ἀναστρέφεσθαι [Refs]
__III.4 in Logic, τὸ μ. the middle term of a syllogism, opposed to τὰ ἄκρα, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.5 in Mathematics texts, middle terms in a proportion, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; μέση, or μέση (μέσος) ἀνάλογον a mean proportional (straight line or number), [Refs]; μέσης εὕρεσις [Refs 4th c.BC+]; μέση medial, a specific kind of irrational (straight line), [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; μέσον ὀρθογώνιον (χωρίον) medial rectangle (area), [Refs]
__III.6 Astron., ὁ διὰ μέσων τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος the ecliptic, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but, ὁ μέσος [κύκλος] the equator of a rotating sphere, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.7 μέσα, τά, ={μέζεα}, Blaes. p.191 K.
__III.7.b ={κοιλία} 1.3, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.8 Μέσον, τό, one of the law-courts at Athens, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.9 οὐ τοῖς μέσοις τῆς βίας χρωμένη no ordinary force,[Refs 4th c.BC+]
__IV μέση, ἡ, as substantive, see at {μέση}.
__V adverb μέσον, Epic dialect μέσσον, in the middle, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with genitive, between, οὐρανοῦ μ. χθονός <τε> [Refs 5th c.BC+]; in the midst of, μ. τῆς θαλάσσης [LXX+NT]: also in plural, μέσα αἰετὸς οὐρανοῦ ποτᾶται [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__V.2 regular adverb μέσως, πόλεώς τ᾽ οὐ μ. εὐδαίμονος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καὶ μ. even in a moderate degree, even a little, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. ἔχειν πρός or περί τι to be in the mean.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; μ. βεβιωκέναι in a middle way, i. e. neither well nor ill, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. διατιθέναι in an intermediate way, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__V.2.b Grammars, in the middle voice, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__VI irregular comparative μεσαίτερος [Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative μεσαίτατος [Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskritmádhyas 'middle', Latin medius, etc.)

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Matt.14.6 ☩ Col.2.14 ☩ LXX.Exod.14.27 ☩ Phil.2.15}