The side of something is the part along its edge or the surface that faces a particular direction. A box has six sides: top, bottom, front, back, left, and right. When you stand at the side of a swimming pool, you're at its edge, not in the middle. A piece of paper has two sides, and when you write on both, you've used both sides of the paper.

In arguments and competitions, your side means the position or team you support. During a debate about longer recess, you might be on the side that wants more outdoor time. In a soccer match, each team defends one side of the field. When friends disagree about which movie to watch, each friend takes a side. People who remain neutral refuse to take sides.

The word appears in many useful expressions. A side effect is an extra result you didn't plan for, like how medicine might cure your headache but make you sleepy. A side dish is food served alongside the main course. When someone makes money on the side, they earn it through extra work beyond their regular job.

Something happening side by side means two things are next to each other, like friends working side by side on a science project. Looking at things side by side helps you compare them clearly.