means In mathematics, the mean is the value you get by adding up a set of numbers and dividing by how many there are — the everyday 'average.'

from This 'mean' came through Old French 'meien' from Latin 'medianus,' meaning 'in the middle,' itself from 'medius,' 'middle' — a relative of English 'mid' and 'median.' The idea of a midpoint between extremes slid neatly into mathematics as the central value between numbers. It's a separate word from the 'mean' that means cruel and from the verb 'to mean,' which trace to different roots entirely — three unrelated travelers who happen to share a spelling.