midway

From Middle English mydwaye, mydweye, from Old English midweġ (“midway”), equivalent to mid- +‎ way. Cognate with Dutch midweg (“midway”), Middle Low German midwech (“midway”).

• IPA^(key): /mɪdweɪ/

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midway (plural midways)

1. The middle; the midst.
2. A middle way or manner; a mean or middle course between extremes.
   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:

     Prayes, and distroyes the prayer, no midway
     Twixt these extreames at all.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Paths indirect, or in the midway faint.

3. (US) The part of a fair or circus where rides, entertainments, and booths are concentrated.
4. (US) The widest aisle in the middle of an industrial complex (such as railroad shops or a coach yard) along which various buildings are aligned

• (middle): See also Thesaurus:midpoint

midway (comparative more midway, superlative most midway)

1. Being in the middle of the way or distance; middle.

midway (not comparable)

1. Halfway; equidistant from either end point; in the middle between two points
   • 1977 December 10, Leslie Cagan, “IWY: Lesbians at Houston and Beyond”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 23, page 3:

     Originally scheduled to come up mid-way through the alphabetically-ordered agenda by being listed as "Lesbianism," the issue was pushed back to 23 (out of 26 resolutions) with the renaming of it as "Sexual Preference."

   • 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport‎:

     It shell-shocked the home crowd, who quickly demanded a response, which came midway through the half and in emphatic fashion.