DictionaryRoot: mid
Old English
mid
middle or intermediate
Forms
- mid
Origin
From an ancient Indo-European middle-word, related to Latin medius.
Note
The independent description became especially familiar as a joining element in longer words.
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noun
midriff
MID-rif/ˈmɪdrɪf/
The front middle part of the body between the chest and waist.
Etymology
The “middle-belly” compound originally named the diaphragm. Its later use as a polite alternative to “belly,” especially in fashion, shifted attention to the visible middle of the body.