media

I

me•di•a

[[t]ˈmi di ə[/t]] n.

1) a pl. of medium

2) (usu. with a pl. v.) the means of communication, as radio, television, newspapers, and magazines, with wide reach and influence

3) pertaining to or concerned with the media:

media research[/ex]

•

usage: media, like data, is the plural form of a word borrowed directly from Latin. The singular, medium, early developed the meaning “an intervening agency, means, etc.,” and was first applied to newspapers two centuries ago. In the 1920s media began to appear as a singular collective noun: The media is reporting on the debates. This singular, though often criticized, is now common. II

me•di•a

[[t]ˈmi di ə[/t]] n. pl. -di•ae [[t]-diˌi[/t]]

1) anat. the middle layer of an artery or lymphatic vessel

2) phn a voiced stop, esp. in ancient Greek

3) ent Entomol. a longitudinal vein in the middle portion of the wing of an insect

•

Etymology: 1835–45; < L, n. use of fem. sing. of L medius central, mid I