Matter vs. Medium — What's the Difference?

In classical physics and general chemistry, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume. All everyday objects that can be touched are ultimately composed of atoms, which are made up of interacting subatomic particles, and in everyday as well as scientific usage, "matter" generally includes atoms and anything made up of them, and any particles (or combination of particles) that act as if they have both rest mass and volume.

An agency or means of doing something

Physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit; (in physics) that which occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially as distinct from energy

The intervening substance through which sensory impressions are conveyed or physical forces are transmitted

A subject or situation under consideration

A particular form of storage material for computer files, such as magnetic tape or discs.

The reason for distress or a problem

The material or form used by an artist, composer, or writer

The substance or content of a text as distinct from its style or form.

A person claiming to be in contact with the spirits of the dead and to communicate between the dead and the living.

Be important or significant

The middle quality or state between two extremes; a reasonable balance

(of a wound) secrete or discharge pus.

About halfway between two extremes of size or another quality; average

That which occupies space and has mass; physical substance.

Something, such as an intermediate course of action, that occupies a position or represents a condition midway between extremes.

A type of such substance

A substance that propagates energy or signals through space via changes in its own state

Discharge or waste, such as pus or feces, from a living organism.

The sparsely distributed gas and dust subsisting in the space between stars.

(Philosophy) In Aristotelian and Scholastic use, that which is in itself undifferentiated and formless and which, as the subject of change and development, receives form and becomes substance.

The substance of thought or expression as opposed to the manner in which it is stated or conveyed.

An agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred

A subject of concern, feeling, or action

A means of mass communication, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television.

Trouble or difficulty

Media(used with a sing. or pl. verb) The group of journalists and others who constitute the communications industry and profession.

An approximated quantity, amount, or extent

Pl. media(Computers)Any of various kinds of storage devices, such as hard drives or digital audiotape.

Something printed or otherwise set down in writing

Pl. mediums A person thought to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead or with agents of another world or dimension. Also called psychic.

To be of importance

A surrounding environment in which something functions and thrives.

(uncountable) Material; substance.

The substance in which a specific organism lives and thrives.

(physics) The basic structural component of the universe, usually having mass and volume.

A culture medium.

(physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.

A specific kind of artistic technique or means of expression as determined by the materials used or the creative methods involved

A kind of substance.

The materials used in a specific artistic technique

Material, especially in books or magazines.

A solvent with which paint is thinned to the proper consistency.

(philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.

(Chemistry) A filtering substance, such as filter paper.

An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.

Occurring or being between two degrees, amounts, or quantities; intermediate

An approximate amount or extent.

The material of the surrounding environment, e.g. solid, liquid, gas, vacuum, or a specific substance such as a solvent.

(obsolete) essence; pith; embodiment.

The materials or empty space through which signals, waves, or forces pass.

(obsolete) (The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.

A format for communicating or presenting information.

To be important.

(microbiology) A nutrient substance, commonly a solution or solid, for the growth of cells in vitro.

To care about, to mind; to find important.

(biology, horticulture etc.) A substance, structure, or environment in which living organisms subsist, grow or are cultured.

To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.

A means, channel, agency or go-between through which communication, commerce, etc is conveyed or carried on, or by which an aim is achieved.

That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment.

(engineering) The materials used to finish a workpiece using a mass finishing or abrasive blasting process.

That of which the sensible universe and all existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body; substance.

A liquid base which carries pigment in paint.

That with regard to, or about which, anything takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling, complaint, legal action, or the like; theme.

(painting) A means of expression, in the arts, such as a material (oil, pastel, clay, etc) or method or style (expressionism, jazz, etc).

That which one has to treat, or with which one has to do; concern; affair; business.

Someone who supposedly conveys information from the spirit world.

Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance; significance; moment; - chiefly in the phrases what matter? no matter, and the like.

An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble.

One who fits an item of that size.

Amount; quantity; portion; space; - often indefinite.

A half-pint serving of Guinness (or other stout in some regions).

Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent substance.

(countable) A middle place or degree.

That which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; - opposed to form.

An average; sometimes the mathematical mean.

Written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in printing.

The mean or middle term of a syllogism, that by which the extremes are brought into connection.

To be of importance; to import; to signify.

(obsolete) Arithmetically average.

To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.

Of intermediate size, degree, amount etc.

To regard as important; to take account of; to care for.

Of meat, cooked to a point greater than rare but less than well done; typically, so the meat is still red in the centre.

That which has mass and occupies space;

That is medium the manufactured size.

A vaguely specified concern;

To a medium extent.

Some situation or event that is thought about;

That which lies in the middle, or between other things; intervening body or quantity.

A problem;

See Mean.

(used with negation) having consequence;

A substance through which an effect is transmitted from one thing to another; as, air is the common medium of sound.

Written works (especially in books or magazines);

An average.

Have weight; have import, carry weight;

A trade name for printing and writing paper of certain sizes. See Paper.

The liquid vehicle with which dry colors are ground and prepared for application.

A source of nutrients in which a microorganism is placed to permit its growth, cause it to produce substances, or observe its activity under defined conditions; also called culture medium or growth medium. The medium is usually a solution of nutrients in water, or a similar solution solidified with gelatin or agar.

A means of transmission of news, advertising, or other messages from an information source to the public, also called a news medium, such as a newspaper or radio; used mostly in the plural form, i. e. news media or media. See 1st media{2}.

Having a middle position or degree; mean; intermediate; medial; as, a horse of medium size; a decoction of medium strength.

A means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

The surrounding environment;

An intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication

(bacteriology) a nutrient substance (solid or liquid) that is used to cultivate micro-organisms

An intervening substance through which something is achieved;

A liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter

(biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed

A state that is intermediate between extremes; a middle position;

Someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead;

Transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public

An occupation for which you are especially well suited;

Around the middle of a scale of evaluation of physical measures;

(of meat) cooked until there is just a little pink meat inside