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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Middis, n.¹ Also: mid(d)es, mid(d)s, midis, myd(d)is, -ys, -es, myd(d)s, myidds, meids, meddes. [ME. (13th c.) and e.m.E. middes, myddes, mids, orig. in the adv. phr. in, on middes, altered f. OE. in, on middan.]

1. In middis, in the middis, in the middle (part or point) of anything, or of a pair or group of people. Also b. of time, = in the meantime, and c. fig.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 225.
In mydis gert he set vpe … His dempster stule(2) a1400 Leg. S. i. 149.
A great kirk thare thai made In the myddis 1453 Sc. Eccles. Soc. 219.
A tabernakyl off gold … claspit with four perles and a ruby in the myddis 1456 Hay II. 5/33. 1487 Acts II. 179/1.
Thre hupe irnis … ane at ilk end of the barell & ane in the middis ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 456. 1503 Mill Mediæv. Plays 178.
A yatt of wood … with … a windowe in the midds 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxvii. 1535 Stewart 25665.
Syne in the feild … [they] Met in the middis c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1088.
In the middis, his men amang1552 Cant Coll. S. Salvator 156. 1561 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 502. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 104. 1596 Dalr. I. 30/22. 1588 Waus Corr. 426.
With ane braid strype in the midis 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 76.
My host in the one noock, madame in the other and I in the midesb. 1456 Hay I. 144/15.
Suppos it happyn him to deces in myddisc. 1632 Fugitive Poetry II. vii. 3/70.
For they (as reason) are set in this place, As in the mids

2. In (into, within) (the) middis (of), in (also, into) the middle of a. a place or region, b. a group of people, (also = between two people), c. a period of time, a series of events, etc.Also once without in.In middes the visage, in the face, in the front.Also at (the) myddis of (a place, a period), amang the midis of (a group of persons or things).a. (1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 570.
Inne myddes of the feldes … Without the walles of the toune c1420 Wynt. v. Prol. 45.
Thir are the twa gret lychtis set In myddys off the firmament c1450-2 Howlat 999.
In myddis of Murraye c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 42 b.
His castell … Upone ane craige in middis of the deip Ib. 1582. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2050. a1500 Seven S. 82, 1649, 1686. a1500 Lanc. 2638.
He ruschit in myddis of the feld 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 17.
In myddis of al our sycht As that drery onarmyt wyght was stad 1535 Stewart 1370, 59452. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 742. 15.. Clar. i. 13. Ib. iii. 688. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2597. 1579 Edinb. Test. VII. 222.
My banes to be bureit in myddis of the paroche kirk(2) ?1438 Alex. i. 1059.
Areste stoutly prikkit then In middes the thikkest of the thrang Ib. ii. 6436.
The knychtis of Grece … Ar doune in myddis the palace set c1420 Ratis R. 250.
In mydis his ryge 1456 Hay I. 46/6. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1535.
In middis the stour he strekis his burdoun a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 818. Brus v. 324 (C). Arundel MS. 255/2.
Reuth & marcy stoundis In myddis my hert 1533 Boece ix. viii. 303 b.
In myddis the strete 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6686.
In middis the fire he kest him in the smuik — ?1438 Alex. i. 122.
The laif, with vaponis stith … In middes the visage met thame weill Ib. ii. 2842.(3) 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 347 b.
The thrid way is myddis thir twa(4) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 813.
Richt in the myddis of the strete Ib. vi. 101, xxxiii. 635. c1420 Wynt. i. 798. Ib. iv. 1200.
Wythin the myddis off the towne 1459 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 62.
The said smyth … sett in the myddys of ane cauld moss a1500 Seven S. 78. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 227, etc. Id. Livy II. 113. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4290 (B). 1549 Compl. 69/8.
In the middis of that mantil 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 351.
Mydds 1554–5 Ib.
Myds 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4952.
In the middis of that samin towre of hicht 1562-3 Winȝet I. 14/9, 14. 1568 Inverness Rec. I. 167; 1575 Ib. 242. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 240. 1579 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. 110. a1578 Pitsc. I. 99/1. 1590 Crim. Trials I. 207.
Ye … maid ane compas in the eird, and ane hoill in the middis thairof 1616 Glasgow Weavers 54. c1616 Hume Orthog. 16.
In the middes of a word 1627 Rep. Parishes i.
The kirk standis in the midis of the parochin 1641 Melville Corr. 89.
Midds 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 62.
Let him fall with a plasch in the mides of the burn(b) 1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 23.
xiiij faddome of corde to hing the pan in the meids of the kirk(c) 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 382.
That na wars meill be fund in the meddes or boddum of the sek nor is in the mowth(5) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 355.
In to the myddis the place Ib. xxxiii. 318.
In the mydis the altere A quyk wel sprang a1500 K. Hart 417.
Scho sat in the middis the deis(6) 1494 Loutfut MS. 112 b.
[The herald] to cast thair gluffis in the myddis feld betuix thaim(7) 1554 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 113.
For thre flagstanis to be ane brig at the myidds of the calsayb. (1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 329.
Luk and Tytum thare thai fand … And Paule in myddis of the twa 1456 Hay I. 42/33.
[He] vanyst fra thair sicht … on day lycht, in myddis of his company(2) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1565.
He stude in the myddis of his communite c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xviii. 20.
Thare I am in the middis of thame 1533 Gau 60/23. Ib. 61/24. 1533 Bell. Livy II. 90/14.
Inemyis circumvenit in the myddis of Romanis 1551 Hamilton Cat. 200.
In the middis of ane evil natioun 1562-3 Winȝet I. 43/6. 1593 Conv. Burghs I. 395.
To wowtchaif Thi mercifull presence in the myddis of ws 1611 Melvill Dream in Fugitive Poetry II. x. 3/8.
Who in the middes of many downe was sett(3) 1596 Dalr. I. 19/35.
Gif thair leidar fal amang the midis of his ennimies 1638 Henderson Serm. 441.
Some precious seeds among the mids of these weedsc. (1) c1450-2 Howlat 156.
In myddis of May 1456 Hay I. 145/21.
In myddis of thair service a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 5.
In middis of the Lent a1538 Abell 75 a.
In middis of the fecht 1535 Stewart 35434. 15.. Clar. ii. 147.
In mides of this supper raise this knicht(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 5015.
In middes the moneth of May(3) c1450-2 Howlat i. a1500 Seven S. 1989.
In the myddis of May c1505-8 Donatus i b.
Befor oresone, in the middis of the oresone and behind the oresone 15.. Clar. iv. 1585. 1565–6 Melville Corr. 3. 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 35.
In the middis of thair jornay 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 61.
In the middes of all thes thair mirrie conceates was revealed a mysterie 1572 Peebles B. Rec. I. 345.
In the middis of the day a1578 Pitsc. I. 16/12. 1590 James VI in Douglas Corr. 34.
In the uerrie middes thairof [a busy time] I am compellid in haist [etc.] 1587-99 Hume iv. 49.
In the midds of strife Thou sall be sure of comforte(4) c1450-2 Howlat 711.
At the myddis of the meit 1513 Doug. ix. ii. 63.
At myddis of the nycht

d. Throw (the) middis (of) = through the middle of, through a space or a group of people.(1) 1513 Doug. iii. x. 18.
He wadis furth throu myddis of the see 1533 Boece xv. xi. 594 b.
Quhan the cart was entering throw middis the porte(2) 1513 Doug. iv. xii. 59.
Hir systir … Fast ruschis throu the myddis of the rowt c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke iv. 30. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 49/27. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 87/12.

e., f. In similar phrases, with various other preps.e. (1) 1425 Liber Melros 545.
Passand wp to the myddys of the threpleche 1555 Melrose Reg. Rec. III. 224.
Down the syk to the middis of the furd 1650 Strathendrick 6.
To the mids of the kirk floore 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 9.(2) 1535 Stewart 2930.
Towardis the middis of that carne on hicht(3) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark vii. 31.
Betuix the middis of the coostis of Decapoleos(4) 1568 Prot. Bk. J. Foulis MS. 61 b.
Doun the myddis of the loich to the hie mercat gaitf. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xvii. 160.
Befor the mydys of the nycht 1531 Bell. Boece II. 328.
Afore the middis of Marche(2) 1569 Cal. Sc. P. II. 673.
[He arrived … about the] middis [of June last] 1570 Bann. Trans. 38. 1570 Leslie 171. 1617 Lett. Eccl. Affairs II. 536.
About the middis of Maij a1651 Calderwood V. 60.(3) 1533 Bell. Livy II. 107/33.
The batell continewit … to the myddis of the nycht 1637 Baillie I. 17.
So it goes to the mids of July

3. The middle or centre.a. Of something having spatial extent. b. Of something having duration in time.a. 1375 Barb. xv. 167.
[The] myddis of the toune he tais c1420 Bute MS. 162.
That the myddis of the watyr … aw to be fre 1488 Acts II. 213/1.
Twa girthis … ane for the middis and ane for ilkane of the endis [of the barrel] 1490 Irland Mir. I. 122/2.
In Jerusalem, the myddis of the waurld c1515 Asl. MS. I. 310/17. 1561 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 106.
Ane buriall place [to] be maid farer fra the myddis of the toun 1587 Acts III. 522/1.
Out of the centrie or middis of the bottom of the firlot 1593 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 801. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 71/8. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Particata.
With these fallis ilke square piece of land is met ouer the middis [etc.] 1615 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 324.
Keipand the middis of the reisk 1627 Rep. Parishes 190.
The midis of the paroche 1629 M. Works Acc. MS. XXI. 52.
The roll that gois round about the midis of the wallis 1683 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 7 March.
The southmost check of the hall is the just mids of the samyneb. a1400 Leg. S. xix. 14.
Of his lyf al the begynnynge & the mydis & als the endynge c1420 Ratis R. 1102.
To knaw the cours of thi ȝouthede And of the mydys, and of thin eild 15.. Clar. iii. 1260.
Quhile mides of the nicht a1585 Polwart Flyt. 549 (T).
Ane tyk tormentit, … That rynis reid-wood, at ilk midis of the moone 1622-6 Bisset I. 191/10.
This aith may be craved … in the begynning, middis or ending [of the plea]