What does "side" mean?

1. (edge or surface) the edge of a flat shape or one of the flat surfaces of an object. 2. (part of the body) the part of your body between your chest and your back. 3. (a team or faction) a group of people or a team that is competing against another group. 4. (a point of view) one part of a situation or a person's character. 5. (side dish) a small amount of food served with the main part of a meal. 6. (to support someone) to support one person or group in an argument or war. 7. (secondary or lateral) coming from or located at the side; not the most important part.

side — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01edge or surface

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Mathematics

n. the edge of a flat shape or one of the flat surfaces of an object.

n. a bounding edge of a two-dimensional polygon or a face of a three-dimensional solid.

“A square has four equal sides and four corners.”

“The architect specified that each side of the pyramid should be clad in reflective glass to mirror the surrounding desert landscape.”

Synonyms

edge face border

Antonyms

center middle

02part of the body

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. the part of your body between your chest and your back.

n. the lateral portion of the human torso, specifically the area between the anterior and posterior planes.

“He felt a sharp pain in his left side after running for an hour.”

“The patient reported persistent discomfort along her right side, which the doctor suspected was related to a strained intercostal muscle.”

Synonyms

flank

03a team or faction

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Sports

n. a group of people or a team that is competing against another group.

n. one of two or more opposing groups or teams in a conflict, competition, or debate.

“Which side are you on in this argument?”

“The local side managed to secure a victory in the final minutes of the match, much to the delight of the home crowd.”

Synonyms

team party faction

04a point of view

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. one part of a situation or a person's character.

n. a particular aspect or perspective of a complex situation, personality, or argument.

“You need to listen to her side of the story before you get angry.”

“The documentary attempts to show every side of the political crisis without appearing to favour any specific agenda.”

Synonyms

aspect facet perspective

05side dish

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Cooking Informal

n. a small amount of food served with the main part of a meal.

n. a food item served as an accompaniment to the primary course of a meal.

“I ordered a steak with a side of mashed potatoes.”

“The restaurant offers a variety of seasonal sides, including roasted root vegetables and a crisp garden salad with lemon vinaigrette.”

Synonyms

accompanimentside order

Antonyms

main course

06to support someone

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to support one person or group in an argument or war.

v. to align oneself with a particular person or group in a dispute or conflict; usually used with the preposition 'with'.

“The children usually side with their mother when their parents disagree.”

“Historically, the smaller nations tended to side with whichever superpower offered the most favourable trade agreements and security guarantees.”

Synonyms

ally support back

Antonyms

oppose

07secondary or lateral

B1 · Intermediate

adj. coming from or located at the side; not the most important part.

adj. positioned at or directed toward the side; secondary in importance or incidental to the main subject.

“We used the side entrance because the front door was locked.”

“The report focused on the primary economic impact, leaving the side effects on local culture for a future study.”

Synonyms

lateral incidental secondary

Antonyms

main central primary

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “side” in context.

01. negative side 02. positive side

From Middle English side, from Old English sīde (“side, flank”), from Proto-Germanic sīdǭ (“side, flank, edge, shore”), from Proto-Indo-European sēy- (“to send, throw, drop, sow, deposit”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Siede (“side”), West Frisian side (“side”), Dutch zijde, zij (“side”), German Low German Sied (“side”), German Seite (“side”), Danish and Norwegian side (“side”), Swedish sida (“side”). The LGBTQ slang sense was coined by sex therapist and author Joe Kort in 2010 and popularized in 2013. The sense was coined by analogy with top and bottom and based on the metaphor of a box which has a top, bottom, and sides.

From Middle English side, syde, syd, from Old English sīd (“wide, broad, spacious, ample, extensive, vast, far-reaching”), from Proto-West Germanic sīd, from Proto-Germanic sīdaz (“drooping, hanging, low, excessive, extra”), from Proto-Indo-European *sēy- (“to send, throw, drop, sow, deposit”). Cognate with obsolete Dutch zijd (“wide, vast”), Low German sied (“low”), Swedish sid (“long, hanging down”), Icelandic síður (“low hanging, long”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

NOUN

side(A2)