midst1

[midst] /mɪdst/
noun
1.
the position of anything surrounded by other things or parts, or occurring in the middle of a period of time, course of action, etc. (usually preceded by the):
a familiar face in the midst of the crowd; in the midst of the performance.
2.
the middle point, part, or stage (usually preceded by the):
We arrived in the midst of a storm.
Idioms
3.
in our / your / their midst, in the midst of or among us (you, them):
To think there was a spy in our midst!
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English, equivalent to middes (aphetic variant of amiddes amidst) + excrescent -t
Synonyms
1, 2. thick, core, heart. See middle.
Antonyms
1, 2. edge, periphery.

midst2

[midst] /mɪdst/
preposition
1.
amidst.
Examples from the web for midst
  • We're now in the midst of an epic financial crisis, which ought to be at the center of the election debate.
  • The article focused on the expense of pursuing specialized accreditation in the midst of the current economic crisis.
  • With neither party keen to face voters in the midst of a recession, legislation now seems quite possible.
  • In the midst of sweltering heat waves, air conditioning can be a lifesaver, protecting against heat stroke and hyperthermia.
  • Trying to pick winners in the midst of the action is ill-advised.
  • Today, according to many biologists, we're in the midst of a sixth great extinction.
  • Imagine a world hidden in the midst of our own, one in which you notice clues and symbols that elude you in your everyday life.
  • Nutria may inhabit a riverbank or lakeshore, or dwell in the midst of wetlands.
  • There are several not-from-this-world motorcycles in our midst.
  • Our understanding of metaphor is in the midst of a metamorphosis.
British Dictionary definitions for midst

midst1

/mɪdst/
noun
1.
in the midst of, surrounded or enveloped by; at a point during, esp a climactic one
2.
in our midst, among us
3.
(archaic) the centre
Word Origin
C14: back formation from amiddesamid

midst2

/mɪdst/
preposition
1.
(poetic) See amid
Word Origin and History for midst
n.

c.1400, from Middle English middes (mid-14c.), from mid + adverbial genitive -s. The parasitic -t is perhaps on model of superlatives (cf. against).