μέσος
I. "middle, in the middle", Lat. medius, Hom., etc.; μέσον σάκος "the middle or centre" of the shield, Il.; ἐν αἰθέρι μέσῳ in "mid" air, Soph.; with the Art. following, διὰ μέσης τῆς πόλεως, ἐν μ. τῇ χώρᾳ Xen.
2. with a Verb, ἔχεται μέσος "by the middle, by the waist", proverb. from the wrestling-ring, Ar.
3. μ. δικαστής ῀ μεσίτης, a judge "between two", an umpire, Thuc.
4. ὁ μέσος (sc. δάκτυλος) Plat.
5. of Time, μέσον ἦμαρ "mid-" day, Hom.; μέσαι νύκτες Hdt.; also, μέσον τῆς ἡμέρας id=Hdt.
II. "middling, moderate", μέσος ἀνήρ a man "of middle rank", id=Hdt.; μ. πολίτης Thuc.; also οἱ διὰ μέσου the "moderate or neutral" party, id=Thuc.
2. "middling", i. e. "middling good", Plat.
III. μέσον epic μέσσον, ου, as Subst. "the middle, the space between", ἐν μέσσῳ, for ἐν μεταιχμίῳ, Il.; or without ἐν, ἔνθορε μέσσῳ he leaped "into the middle", id=Il.; οἱ ἐν μ. λόγοι the "intervening" words, Soph.; τὰ ἐν μ. what "went between", id=Soph.; ἐν μ. ἡμῶν καὶ βασιλέως "between" us and him, Xen.; ἐν μ. νυκτῶν at "mid" night, id=Xen.; ἆθλα κείμενα ἐν μέσῳ prizes set up "for all to contend for", Dem.;—so in pl., κεῖτο δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐν μέσσοισι Il.
b. ἐς μέσον, ἐς μ. ἀμφοτέρων Hom.; ἐς μ. τιθέναι τισί τι to set a prize "before all", for all to contest, Lat. in medio ponere, Il.; ἐς τὸ μ. τιθέναι to propose, bring forward "in public", Hdt.; ἐς τὸ μ. λέγειν to speak "before all", id=Hdt.; ἐς μ. Πέρσῃσι καταθεῖναι τὰ πρήγματα to give up the power "in common to all", id=Hdt.
c. ἐκ τοῦ μέσου καθέζεσθαι to keep "clear of" a contest, i. e. remain neutral, id=Hdt.
d. διὰ μέσου = μεταξύ, "between", id=Hdt., Thuc.; and of Time, "meanwhile",Hdt., Thuc.
e. ἀνὰ μέσον "midway between", Theocr.
f. κατὰ μέσσον, ῀ ἐν μέσῳ, Il.
2. τὸ μέσον, also, "the difference, average", Hdt., Thuc.
3. "the middle state or mean", Lat. mediocritas, Arist.; παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν Aesch.
IV. adv. μέσον, epic μέσσον, "in the middle", Hom.: c. gen. "between", οὐρανοῦ μ. χθονός τε Eur.
2. in attic μέσως, "moderately", id=Eur.; καὶ μέσως even "a little", Thuc.; μέσως βεβιωκέναι "in a middle way", i. e. neither well nor ill, Plat.
V. irreg. comp. μεσαίτερος (cf. μεσαῖος) id=Plat.; Sup. μεσαίτατος Hdt., etc.