medium dead

English

WOTD – 03 November 2011

Etymology

Formed as medium + dead by analogy with medium rare, medium dry, etc.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

medium dead (not comparable)

1. (humorous) Unconscious and near death.
   • 1953, Isaac Asimov, Second Foundation (1971 Panther Books Ltd publication), part II: “Search by the Foundation”, chapter 7: ‘Arcadia’, page 79, ¶ 5

     She paused for a much-needed breath, and the man said, grittily, “Except that I think I’ll choke you just about medium dead and get out of here, with the briefcase.”

Synonyms

• half dead

Translations

near death

• Finnish: puolikuollut (fi)
• German: halbtot
• Russian: (somewhat) полумёртвый (ru) (polumjórtvyj), (somewhat) полуживой (ru) (poluživoj)
• Spanish: medio muerto