Adjacent Words

Centre definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a low-lying region in central France
2: an area that is approximately central within some larger region; "it is in the center of town"; "they ran forward into the heart of the struggle"; "they were in the eye of the storm" [syn: center, centre, middle, heart, eye]
3: a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure [syn: center, centre, midpoint]
4: a place where some particular activity is concentrated; "they received messages from several centers" [syn: center, centre]
5: the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering [syn: center, centre]
6: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story" [syn: kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty- gritty]
7: the object upon which interest and attention focuses; "his stories made him the center of the party" [syn: center, centre, center of attention, centre of attention]
8: a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process; "in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere" [syn: center, centre, nerve center, nerve centre]
9: a building dedicated to a particular activity; "they were raising money to build a new center for research" [syn: center, centre] v
1: move into the center; "That vase in the picture is not centered" [syn: center, centre]
2: direct one's attention on something; "Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies" [syn: concentrate, focus, center, centre, pore, rivet]

Merriam Webster's

chiefly British variant of center

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. (US center) --n. 1 the middle point, esp. of a line, circle, or sphere, equidistant from the ends or from any point on the circumference or surface. 2 a pivot or axis of rotation. 3 a a place or group of buildings forming a central point in a district, city, etc., or a main area for an activity (shopping centre; town centre). b (with preceding word) a piece or set of equipment for a number of connected functions (music centre). 4 a point of concentration or dispersion; a nucleus or source. 5 a political party or group holding moderate opinions. 6 the filling in a chocolate etc. 7 Sport a the middle player in a line or group in some field games. b a kick or hit from the side to the centre of the pitch. 8 (in a lathe etc.) a conical adjustable support for the workpiece. 9 (attrib.) of or at the centre. --v. 1 intr. (foll. by in, on; disp. foll. by round) have as its main centre. 2 tr. place in the centre. 3 tr. mark with a centre. 4 tr. (foll. by in etc.) concentrate. 5 tr. Sport kick or hit (the ball) from the side to the centre of the pitch. Phrases and idioms: centre-bit a boring tool with a centre point and side cutters. centre forward Sport the middle player or position in a forward line. centre half Sport the middle player or position in a half-back line. centre of attention 1 a person or thing that draws general attention. 2 Physics the point to which bodies tend by gravity. centre of gravity (or mass) the point at which the weight of a body may be considered to act. centre-piece 1 an ornament for the middle of a table. 2 a principal item. centre spread the two facing middle pages of a newspaper etc. Derivatives: centred adj. (often in comb.). centremost adj. centric adj. centrical adj. centricity n. Etymology: ME f. OF centre or L centrum f. Gk kentron sharp point

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Center Cen"ter, or Centre Cen"tre, seal seal . (Gas Manuf.) A compound hydraulic valve for regulating the passage of the gas through a set of purifiers so as to cut out each one in turn for the renewal of the lime.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Center Center, or Centre Centre, punch punch . (Mech.) (a) A punch for making indentations or dots in a piece of work, as for suspension between lathe centers, etc. (b) A punch for punching holes in sheet metal, having a small conical center to insure correct locating.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Center Cen"ter, Centre Cen"tre v. i. [imp. & p. p. Centered or Centred; p. pr. & vb. n. Centering or Centring.] 1. To be placed in a center; to be central. 2. To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest on, or gather about, as a center. Where there is no visible truth wherein to center, error is as wide as men's fancies. --Dr. H. More. Our hopes must center in ourselves alone. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Center Cen"ter, Centre Cen"tre, v. t. 1. To place or fix in the center or on a central point. --Milton. 2. To collect to a point; to concentrate. Thy joys are centered all in me alone. --Prior. 3. (Mech.) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Centre Cen"tre, n. & v. See Center.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(centres, centring, centred) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: in AM, use 'center' 1. A centre is a building where people have meetings, take part in a particular activity, or get help of some kind. We went to a party at the leisure centre... ...the National Exhibition Centre. N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft in names after n 2. If an area or town is a centre for an industry or activity, that industry or activity is very important there. London is also the major international insurance centre. N-COUNT: with supp 3. The centre of something is the middle of it. A large wooden table dominates the centre of the room... Bake until light golden and crisp around the edges and slightly soft in the centre. N-COUNT: usu sing 4. The centre of a town or city is the part where there are the most shops and businesses and where a lot of people come from other areas to work or shop. ...the city centre. N-COUNT: usu sing 5. If something or someone is at the centre of a situation, they are the most important thing or person involved. ...the man at the centre of the controversy... At the centre of the inquiry has been concern for the pensioners involved. N-COUNT: usu sing, usu N of n 6. If someone or something is the centre of attention or interest, people are giving them a lot of attention. The rest of the cast was used to her being the centre of attention... The centre of attraction was Pierre Auguste Renoir's oil painting. = focus N-COUNT: usu sing, N of n 7. In politics, the centre refers to groups and their beliefs, when they are considered to be neither left-wing nor right-wing. The Democrats have become a party of the centre. ...the centre parties. N-SING: the N, oft N n 8. If something centres or is centred on a particular thing or person, that thing or person is the main subject of attention. ...a plan which centred on academic achievement and personal motivation... When working with patients, my efforts are centred on helping them to overcome illness. VERB: V on/around n, be V-ed on/around n • -centred ...a child-centred approach to teaching. COMB in ADJ 9. If an industry or event is centred in a place, or if it centres there, it takes place to the greatest extent there. The fighting has been centred around the town of Vucovar... The disturbances have centred round the two main university areas... Between 100 and 150 travellers' vehicles were scattered around the county, with the largest gathering centred on Ampfield. VERB: be V-ed prep, V prep, V-ed 10. see also community centre, detention centre, garden centre, health centre, job centre, left-of-centre, nerve centre, reception centre, remand centre, right-of-centre, shopping centre

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Middle, midst, middle point, midmost point.