# side

Pronunciation: say "SYD" /saɪd/

## Noun

1. A region lying in a particular position relative to something, such as the land beyond a road or river.
   - Simple: An area that lies in a certain place near or next to something.
   - _We parked on the east side of the building._
   - _The village sits on the far side of the mountains._
2. Either half of something or someone: left or right, top or bottom, or front or back.
   - Simple: One of the two halves of something, such as the left or right part.
   - _After the dentist, the left side of her face stayed numb until dinner._
   - _A scar ran down the left side of his face._
3. One of the flat outer surfaces of an object, including either surface of a sheet of paper.
   - Simple: One of the flat outer surfaces of a thing, such as the front or back of paper.
   - _The movers wrote 'fragile' in thick red marker on every side of the box._
   - _A cube has six identical sides._
4. A group united by a shared allegiance in a conflict, dispute, or competition.
   - Simple: A group of people who support the same position in an argument or fight.
   - _The two sides could not reach an agreement._
   - _He always takes the weaker side in any quarrel._
5. A particular aspect of a person, idea, or situation among several possible ones.
   - Simple: One part of someone's character or of a situation.
   - _He rarely shows the angry side of his personality._
   - _Every argument has another side worth hearing._
6. One set of players competing as a unit against another in a game.
   - Simple: A group of players who play together against another group in a game.
   - _Each side chose a captain before the match began._
   - _The losing side had to buy the snacks._
9. A dish served alongside the main course, such as fries or a salad. *(colloquial, Canada, Philippines, US)*
   - Simple: A smaller dish of food served along with the main meal.
   - _The menu lets you pick two sides with any entrée._
   - _He always gets fries as his side._
10. The spot immediately beside someone, often implying that a person there is giving company, comfort, or support, as in by or at someone's side.
   - Simple: The place right next to a person, often showing that you are there to keep them company, comfort them, or help.
   - _Through every round of treatment, her sister was at her side._
   - _He worked at the senator's side for twenty years, through two campaigns and countless crises._
15. The border of a road, field, room, or similar space, or the strip running along that border, away from the center.
   - Simple: The edge of a place such as a road, field, or room, or the part along it, away from the middle.
   - _Wildflowers grow thickly along the side of the field, where the plow never reaches._
   - _Spectators lined both sides of the street to watch the parade go by._
11. A straight line forming one of the boundaries of a two-dimensional shape.
   - Simple: One of the straight edges of a flat shape, like a triangle.
   - _A regular hexagon has six sides of equal length._
   - _The longest side of a right triangle is called the hypotenuse._
12. The area of the human torso on the left or right, between the chest or belly and the back, usually covered by the arm.
   - Simple: The part of your body between your chest and back, below your arm.
   - _She felt a stitch in her side after running._
   - _The doctor pressed gently on his left side._
14. A line of family descent traced through one parent or relative, as distinct from the other.
   - Simple: The part of your family that comes through one parent or relative.
   - _The musical talent comes from her mother's side of the family._
   - _On my father's side, everyone lived past ninety._
16. The group of batters a particular pitcher faces during a single inning.
   - Simple: All the batters a pitcher faces during one inning of baseball.
   - _She retired the side on just nine pitches._
   - _Facing the heart of the lineup, he still set the side down in order._
18. A recorded piece of music; a record, particularly in jazz.
   - Simple: A recorded piece of music, especially a jazz record.
   - _The quartet laid down three sides in a single afternoon session._
   - _Collectors still hunt for that rare bebop side._
20. Spin applied to a ball by striking it off-center, causing it to curve or change its rebound; sidespin.
   - Simple: Spin put on a ball by hitting it off to one side, making it curve or kick.
   - _He applied side to bring the cue ball off the cushion at a sharper angle._
   - _Without any side, the ball ran dead straight into the pocket._
22. A written monologue or portion of a scene given to an actor to read at an audition.
   - Simple: A short piece of script that an actor reads aloud at an audition.
   - _Her agent emailed a two-page side the night before the callback, and she knew it cold by morning._
   - _The casting office sent the sides on Friday, so she spent the weekend learning the scene._
26. One of the inclined surfaces that make up a hill, mountain, or valley.
   - Simple: The part of a hill, mountain, or valley that slopes up or down.
   - _The trail zigzags up the eastern side of the mountain through thick pine forest._
   - _Terraced vineyards cover the sunny sides of the valley._
27. One of the two playable faces of a record, or one of the two halves of a cassette, including the music recorded there.
   - Simple: One of the two parts of a record or tape that you play, and the music on it.
   - _Side one of the album opens with a slow piano ballad._
   - _He recorded the radio countdown onto both sides of a blank cassette._

## Adjective

7. Not central or direct; secondary, incidental, or away from the main matter.
   - Simple: Not the main thing, but extra or less important.
   - _The medicine had an unpleasant side effect._
   - _Let's not get stuck on a side question._
8. Positioned on, or directed toward, the left or right of something; lateral.
   - Simple: Being on or facing the left or right of something.
   - _The building has a side entrance for deliveries._
   - _She tucked her water bottle into the backpack's side pocket._

## Verb

13. To take the part of one group or person in a dispute, usually followed by "with."
   - Simple: To join one group and support it against another.
   - _Most of the committee sided with the new proposal._
   - _Why do you always side with him?_
17. To cover the exterior walls of a building with siding.
   - Simple: To cover the outside walls of a building with flat boards or panels.
   - _Local builders side most homes here before the first snow._
   - _The contractor sided the garage in galvanized steel._
19. To provide a dish with an accompaniment served alongside it.
   - Simple: To serve a main dish together with an extra food on the side.
   - _At the corner diner, every burger comes sided with a pile of crispy fries and a dill pickle._
   - _She sided the grilled fish with a bright lemon salad._
21. To lean or tilt over onto one side.
   - Simple: To tilt or lean over toward one side.

## Noun

23. A conceited bearing, or a show of importance that has no real justification. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A show of acting more important than you really are.
   - _The young clerk put on a great deal of side after his promotion._
   - _For all her fame, she spoke without a trace of side._
24. A television channel, usually one other than the channel currently being watched. *(dated, Australia, British, Ireland)*
   - Simple: A television channel, especially one other than the one you are watching.
   - _She turned over to the other side to catch the evening news._
   - _Nothing decent was on the other side either, so he switched the set off._

## Adjective

25. Wide or large; or long and pendulous, hanging low and trailing; far-reaching. *(archaic, Northern England, Scotland, UK)*
   - Simple: Very wide or large, or long and hanging down low.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A man who, in sex with other men, prefers not to engage in anal sex.
- (noun) A troupe of morris dancers that rehearses and performs as a unit.
- (verb) To work a timber or rib to a specified thickness by trimming its sides.
- (verb) To clear away, tidy, or put in order.
- (adverb) Widely; over a wide area; far.
- (noun) In older mathematics, the root of a number, especially a square root, pictured as the edge of a square.
- (verb) To be next to something, or positioned on the side that faces it.
- (verb) To go well with something, or to match it as a pair.
- (adjective) Far away or remote.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–24, 26–27** — English side comes from Old English sīde ("side, flank") by way of Middle English side. The Old English word came from Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ, which could mean "side," "flank," "edge," or "shore," and which was in turn built on *sīdaz ("long, hanging down"), probably from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- ("long, lasting"). Related words include German Seite, Dutch zijde, and Swedish sida. Sex therapist Joe Kort coined the LGBTQ slang meaning in 2010, modeling it on "top" and "bottom": a box has sides as well as a top and a bottom.
**Meaning 25** — From Middle English side, from Old English sīd ("wide, broad, spacious, extensive"), from Proto-West Germanic *sīd and Proto-Germanic *sīdaz ("drooping, hanging, low"), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sēy-. It is related to Low German sied ("low") and Icelandic síður ("low hanging, long").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/side (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).