Mid"ship`, a. Of or pertaining to, or being in, the middle of a ship.
Midship beam (Naut.), the beam or timber upon which the broadest part
of a vessel is formed. -- Midship bend, the broadest frame in a vessel.
Weale.
Mid"ship`man (?), n.; pl. Midshipmen (&?;).
1. (a) Formerly, a kind of naval cadet, in a ship of war, whose
business was to carry orders, messages, reports, etc., between the
officers of the quarter-deck and those of the forecastle, and render
other services as required. (b) In the English naval service, the
second rank attained by a combatant officer after a term of service as
naval cadet. Having served three and a half years in this rank, and
passed an examination, he is eligible to promotion to the rank of
lieutenant. (c) In the United States navy, the lowest grade of officers
in line of promotion, being graduates of the Naval Academy awaiting
promotion to the rank of ensign.
2. (Zoöl.) An American marine fish of the genus Porichthys, allied to
the toadfish.
Cadet midshipman, formerly a title distinguishing a cadet line officer
from a cadet engineer at the U. S. Naval Academy. See under Cadet. --
Cadet midshipman, formerly, a naval cadet who had served his time,
passed his examinations, and was awaiting promotion; -- now called, in
the United States, midshipman; in England, sublieutenant.
Mid"ships`, adv. [For amidships.] (Naut.) In the middle of a ship; --
properly amidships.
Mid"ships`, n. pl. (Naut.) The timbers at the broadest part of the
vessel. R. H. Dana, Jr.
Midst (?), n. [From middest, in the middest, for older in middes, where
-s is adverbial (orig. forming a genitive), or still older a midde, a
midden, on midden. See Mid, and cf. Amidst.]
1. The interior or central 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.
2. Hence, figuratively, the condition of being surrounded or beset; the
press; the burden; as, in the midst of official duties; in the midst of
secular affairs.
The expressions in our midst, in their midst, etc., are avoided by some
good writers, the forms in the midst of us, in the midst of them, etc.,
being preferred.
Syn. -- Midst, Middle. Midst in present usage commonly denotes a part
or place surrounded on enveloped by or among other parts or objects
(see Amidst); while middle is used of the center of length, or surface,
or of a solid, etc. We say in the midst of a thicket; in the middle of
a line, or the middle of a room; in the midst of darkness; in the
middle of the night.
Midst, prep. In the midst of; amidst. Shak.
Midst, adv. In the middle. [R.] Milton.
Mid"sum`mer (?), n. [AS. midsumor.] The middle of summer. Shak.
Midsummer daisy (Bot.), the oxeye daisy.
Mid"ward (?), a. Situated in the middle.
Mid"ward, adv. In or toward the midst.
Mid"way` (?), n. The middle of the way or distance; a middle way or
course. Shak.
Paths indirect, or in the midway faint.
Milton.
Mid"way`, a. Being in the middle of the way or distance; as, the midway
air. Shak.
Mid"way`, adv. In the middle of the way or distance; half way. "She met
his glance midway." Dryden.
Mid"week` (?), n. The middle of the week. Also used adjectively.
Mid"wife` (?), n.; pl. Midwives (#). [OE. midwif, fr. AS. mid with
(akin to Gr. &?;) + &?; woman, wife. Properly, the woman or wife who is
attendant upon a woman in childbirth. See Meta-, and Wife.] A woman who
assists other women in childbirth; a female practitioner of the
obstetric art.
Mid"wife`, v. t. To assist in childbirth.
Mid"wife`, v. i. To perform the office of midwife.
Mid"wife`ry (?; 277), n. 1. The art or practice of assisting women in
childbirth; obstetrics.