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medias

mé-diasˈmeðjas

socks, stockings

Also: tights, hosiery
NounfA1
Spain
A pair of brightly colored, patterned socks neatly folded on a surface.

📝 In Action

Perdí una de mis medias favoritas en la lavadora.

A1

I lost one of my favorite socks in the washing machine.

Ella siempre usa medias de lana en invierno.

A2

She always wears wool stockings (or tights) in winter.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • par de medias – pair of socks/stockings
  • medias de seda – silk stockings

halfway, partially

Also: half-done
A cheerful cartoon rabbit standing precisely at the midpoint of a winding dirt road leading toward a distant tree, illustrating the halfway point.

📝 In Action

Dejaron la obra a medias cuando se quedaron sin dinero.

B1

They left the construction work halfway (or half-finished) when they ran out of money.

Solo escuché la conversación a medias, no entendí todo.

B2

I only heard the conversation partially, I didn't understand everything.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • hacer algo a medias – to do something halfway/half-heartedly

averages, means

NounfB2
A perfectly level, traditional wooden balance scale with three different-sized apples on one pan and one medium apple balancing them on the other pan.

📝 In Action

Las medias de rendimiento escolar han mejorado este trimestre.

B2

The school performance averages have improved this quarter.

Necesitamos calcular las medias para determinar el resultado final.

C1

We need to calculate the means (averages) to determine the final result.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • promedios (averages (alternative term))

Common Collocations

  • la media aritmética – the arithmetic mean
  • por término medio – on average

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: medias

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'medias' to mean 'half-finished'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
comediasenciclopedias
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin *media*, which means 'middle' or 'half'. This root explains all three meanings: the average is the middle point, 'a medias' means halfway, and the garment (socks/stockings) covers the middle part of the leg.

First recorded: 13th century (in related forms)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: mediaPortuguese: meias

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'medias' always plural?

Yes, 'medias' is the plural form. If you are talking about a single item (a single sock or a single average value), you would use the singular feminine noun 'media'.

How do I know if 'medias' means socks or averages?

Context is everything! If you are talking about clothing, it means socks/hosiery. If you are using it with a number or in a statistical context, it means 'averages' or 'means'.