noun
medium
A surrounding substance through which activity takes place.
Air is the medium through which sound reaches our ears.
Etymology
Latin medium means something in the middle or an intermediary. A surrounding medium occupies the space through which an action, signal, or process takes place.
More examples
- The bacteria grow in a nutrient-rich medium.
- Light bends as it passes between different media.
- She uses radio as a medium for sharing local stories.
Forms
medium · media · mediums
Similar words
- substance
- Names the material itself, without emphasizing what passes through it.
- environment
- Emphasizes surrounding conditions rather than a material that transmits something.
- channel
- Emphasizes a route for transmission rather than the surrounding material.