mediant

M3E1D2I1A1N1T1
/ˈmiːdi.ənt/

noun

The third degree of the diatonic scale.

“For any tangent pair of Ford circles corresponding to rational numbers r and s, the Ford circle tangent to both of them corresponds to the rational number which is the mediant of r and s.”

OriginItalian mediante ← Latin mediānt- ← Proto-Italic *meðios →
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Meanings

nounmediant (plural mediants)

plural mediants

  1. entertainmentThe third degree of the diatonic scale.
  2. mathematicsA rational number whose numerator is the sum of the numerators of two other given rational numbers and whose denominator is the sum of the denominators of those same two other rational numbers.

    For any tangent pair of Ford circles corresponding to rational numbers r and s, the Ford circle tangent to both of them corresponds to the rational number which is the mediant of r and s.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*medʰyo-“between”
  2. Proto-Italic*meðios
  3. Latinmediānt-“being in the middle”
  4. Italianmediante
  5. Englishmediant

From Italian mediante, from Latin mediānt- (“being in the middle”), present active participle of mediō (“to be in the middle”), from medius (“middle”), from Proto-Italic *meðios, from Proto-Indo-European *medʰyo- (“between”).

More words from Italian, Latin, Proto-Italic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish välittäjä, mediantti
  • välittäjäthird tone
  • medianttithird tone
Italian mediante
  • mediantethird tone
Swedish mediant
  • mediantthird tone

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

dematindietman
Cite this entry
APA

mediant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mediant

MLA

“mediant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mediant. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mediant,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mediant.

Source: mediant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.