{ Me`di*as"tine (?), ||Me`di*as*ti"num (?), } n. [NL. mediastinum, fr. L. medius middle; cf. mediastinus helper, a menial servant, LL. mediastinus equiv. to medius: cf F. médiastin.] (Anat.) A partition; a septum; specifically, the folds of the pleura (and the space included between them) which divide the thorax into a right and left cavity. The space included between these folds of the pleura, called the mediastinal space, contains the heart and gives passage to the esophagus and great blood vessels.

• (anatomy) The region in mammals between the pleural sacs, containing the heart and all of the thoracic viscera except the lungs.