middling
pronunciation
How to pronounce middling in British English:
UK [ˈmɪdlɪŋ]
How to pronounce middling in American English:
US [ˈmɪdlɪŋ, -lɪn]
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- Noun:
- any commodity of intermediate quality or size (especially when coarse particles of ground wheat are mixed with bran)
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- Adjective:
- of no exceptional quality or ability
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- Adverb:
- to a moderately sufficient extent or degree
Word Origin
- middling (adj.)
- 1540s, from Scottish mydlyn (mid-15c.), from middle + suffix -ing. Used to designate the second of three grades of goods. As an adverb by 1719.
Example
- 1. Wheat middling was the chosen grain for feeding milk cows .
- 2. In the right context , a middling show can survive .
- 3. Few believe the future lies in premium-ish products and middling scale .
- 4. They have jobs of middling status , perhaps in retail or self-employed manual trades .
- 5. The computer model used is of only middling sophistication , dr schmittner admits .