center

[sen-ter] /ˈsɛn tər/
noun
1.
Geometry. the middle point, as the point within a circle or sphere equally distant from all points of the circumference or surface, or the point within a regular polygon equally distant from the vertices.
2.
a point, pivot, axis, etc., around which anything rotates or revolves:
The sun is the center of the solar system.
3.
the source of an influence, action, force, etc.:
the center of a problem.
4.
a point, place, person, etc., upon which interest, emotion, etc., focuses:
His family is the center of his life.
5.
a principal point, place, or object:
a shipping center.
6.
a building or part of a building used as a meeting place for a particular group or having facilities for certain activities:
a youth center; The company has a complete recreation center in the basement.
7.
an office or other facility providing a specific service or dealing with a particular emergency:
a flood-relief center; a crisis center.
8.
a person, thing, group, etc., occupying the middle position, especially a body of troops.
9.
the core or middle of anything:
chocolate candies with fruit centers.
10.
a store or establishment devoted to a particular subject or hobby, carrying supplies, materials, tools, and books as well as offering guidance and advice:
a garden center; a nutrition center.
11.
shopping center.
12.
(usually initial capital letter) Government.
  1. the part of a legislative assembly, especially in continental Europe, that sits in the center of the chamber, a position customarily assigned to members of the legislature who hold political views intermediate between those of the Right and Left.
  2. the members of such an assembly who sit in the Center.
  3. the political position of persons who hold moderate views.
  4. politically moderate persons, taken collectively; Centrists; middle-of-the-roaders:
    Unfortunately, his homeland has always lacked a responsible Center.
13.
Football.
  1. a lineman who occupies a position in the middle of the line and who puts the ball into play by tossing it between his legs to a back.
  2. the position played by this lineman.
14.
Basketball.
  1. a player who participates in a center jump.
  2. the position of the player in the center of the court, where the center jump takes place at the beginning of play.
15.
Ice Hockey. a player who participates in a face-off at the beginning of play.
16.
Baseball. center field.
17.
Physiology. a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific organic process:
the vasomotor center.
18.
Mathematics.
  1. the mean position of a figure or system.
  2. the set of elements of a group that commute with every element of the group.
19.
Machinery.
  1. a tapered rod, mounted in the headstock spindle (live center) or the tailstock spindle (dead center) of a lathe, upon which the work to be turned is placed.
  2. one of two similar points on some other machine, as a planing machine, enabling an object to be turned on its axis.
  3. a tapered indentation, in a piece to be turned on a lathe, into which a center is fitted.
verb (used with object)
20.
to place in or on a center:
She centered the clock on the mantelpiece.
21.
to collect to or around a center; focus:
He centered his novel on the Civil War.
22.
to determine or mark the center of:
A small brass star centered the tabletop.
23.
to adjust, shape, or modify (an object, part, etc.) so that its axis or the like is in a central or normal position:
to center the lens of a telescope; to center the work on a lathe.
24.
to place (an object, part, etc.) so as to be equidistant from all bordering or adjacent areas.
25.
Football. snap (def 21).
26.
to pass (a basketball, hockey puck, etc.) from any place along the periphery toward the middle of the playing area.
verb (used without object)
27.
to be at or come to a center.
28.
to come to a focus; converge; concentrate (followed by at, about, around, in, or on):
The interest of the book centers specifically on the character of the eccentric hero. Political power in the town centers in the position of mayor.
29.
to gather or accumulate in a cluster; collect (followed by at, about, around, in, or on):
Shops and municipal buildings center around the city square.
Idioms
30.
on center, from the centerline or midpoint of a structural member, an area of a plan, etc., to that of a similar member, area, etc.:
The studs are set 30 inches on center.
Abbreviation: o.c.
Also, especially British, centre.
Origin
1325-75; variant of Middle English centre < Latin centrum < Greek kéntron needle, spur, pivoting point in drawing a circle, derivative of kenteîn to sting
Related forms
centerable, adjective
centerless, adjective
supercenter, noun
Synonyms
1. See middle.
Antonyms
1. edge.
Usage note
29. Although sometimes condemned for alleged illogicality, the phrases center about and center around have appeared in edited writing for more than a century to express the sense of gathering or collecting as if around a center: The objections center around the question of fiscal responsibility.
Examples from the web for center
  • At the middle is the eye, the low-pressure center of the hurricane.
  • When the trough is full, its balance point is again at the center.
  • About the fourth year, a center appears in the middle of the head, and soon extends into the styloid process.
  • In ancient times, people celebrated this day as the center point of summer.
  • Readers with a keen eye might have noticed the star in the middle is a bit off-center.
  • One benefit of being a financial center is that being small in size wouldn't be that huge an impediment.
  • Rog builds the remote control center in the back of the pickup truck.
  • It is simply a matter of getting one's limbs below the center of gravity before extending them.
  • Communicating with a busy household is much easier when your message center is tailor-made to fit your space and your needs.
  • Peer into the mysterious heart of our galaxy's center.
British Dictionary definitions for center

center

/ˈsɛntə/
noun, verb
1.
the US spelling of centre

centre

/ˈsɛntə/
noun
1.
(geometry)
  1. the midpoint of any line or figure, esp the point within a circle or sphere that is equidistant from any point on the circumference or surface
  2. the point within a body through which a specified force may be considered to act, such as the centre of gravity
2.
the point, axis, or pivot about which a body rotates
3.
a point, area, or part that is approximately in the middle of a larger area or volume
4.
a place at which some specified activity is concentrated: a shopping centre
5.
a person or thing that is a focus of interest
6.
a place of activity or influence: a centre of power
7.
a person, group, policy, or thing in the middle
8.
(usually capital) (politics)
  1. a political party or group favouring moderation, esp the moderate members of a legislative assembly
  2. (as modifier): a Centre-Left alliance
9.
(physiol) any part of the central nervous system that regulates a specific function: respiratory centre
10.
a bar with a conical point upon which a workpiece or part may be turned or ground
11.
a punch mark or small conical hole in a part to be drilled, which enables the point of the drill to be located accurately
12.
(sport)
  1. a player who plays in the middle of the forward line
  2. the act or an instance of passing the ball from a wing to the middle of the field, court, etc
13.
(basketball)
  1. the position of a player who jumps for the ball at the start of play
  2. the player in this position
14.
(archery)
  1. the ring around the bull's eye
  2. a shot that hits this ring
verb
15.
to move towards, mark, put, or be at a centre
16.
(transitive) to focus or bring together: to centre one's thoughts
17.
(intransitive) often foll by on. to have as a main point of view or theme: the novel centred on crime
18.
(transitive) to adjust or locate (a workpiece or part) using a centre
19.
(intransitive; foll by on or round) to have as a centre
20.
(transitive) (sport) to pass (the ball) into the middle of the field or court
Word Origin
C14: from Latin centrum the stationary point of a compass, from Greek kentron needle, from kentein to prick
Word Origin and History for center
n.

late 14c., "middle point of a circle; point round which something revolves," from Old French centre (14c.), from Latin centrum "center," originally fixed point of the two points of a drafting compass, from Greek kentron "sharp point, goad, sting of a wasp," from kentein "stitch," from PIE root *kent- "to prick" (cf. Breton kentr "a spur," Welsh cethr "nail," Old High German hantag "sharp, pointed").

Figuratively from 1680s. Meaning "the middle of anything" attested from 1590s. Spelling with -re popularized in Britain by Johnson's dictionary (following Bailey's), though -er is older and was used by Shakespeare, Milton, and Pope. Center of gravity is recorded from 1650s. Center of attention is from 1868.

v.

1590s, "to concentrate at a center," from center (n.). Related: Centered; centering. Meaning "to rest as at a center" is from 1620s. Sports sense of "to hit toward the center" is from 1890. To be centered on is from 1713. In combinations, -centered is attested by 1958.

center in Medicine

center cen·ter (sěn'tər)
n.

  1. A point or place in the body that is equally distant from its sides or outer boundaries; the middle.

  2. A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function.

Slang definitions & phrases for center

center

Related Terms

dead center, front and center


Idioms and Phrases with center

center

In addition to the idiom beginning with center also see: front and center