Meia

Meia is a word in Portuguese with several uses. The primary sense is as a feminine noun meaning a sock or stocking worn on the foot and leg. The singular form is meia and the plural is meias. Meias are common daily clothing and are also referred to in sports contexts as part of a team uniform, such as meias de futebol. The term appears in compounds such as meia-noite (midnight) and meias-verdades (half-truths), where it carries a sense of half or partial.

Meia in Brazilian Portuguese is also a football position. It denotes a midfielder, particularly a creative or central playmaker who links defense and attack. The meia role is used in match lineups and tactical descriptions, and can be specified as meia esquerda (left midfielder), meia direita (right midfielder), or meia central. Responsibilities typically include distributing the ball, creating chances, and supporting both defensive and offensive phases, with duties varying by formation and coach.

The word's most common sense remains the clothing item, but in sports discourse meia is a standard term that identifies a key field position in football. In other contexts, meia may appear in fixed phrases or proper names, but such uses are less central to its meaning.