Library / English Dictionary

CENTRE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A building dedicated to a particular activity

Example:

they were raising money to build a new center for research

Synonyms:

center; centre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

burn center (a center where patients with severe burns can be treated)

call center; call centre (a center equipped to handle a large volume of telephone calls (especially for taking orders or serving customers))

civic center; community center (a center where the members of a community can gather for social or cultural activities)

conference center; conference house (a center where conferences can be conducted)

control center (the operational center for a group of related activities)

research center; research facility (a center where research is done)

service club (a recreational center for servicemen)

settlement house (a center in an underprivileged area that provides community services)

student center (a center for student activities at a college or university)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process

Example:

in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere

Synonyms:

center; centre; nerve center; nerve centre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

neural structure (a structure that is part of the nervous system)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

respiratory center (the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles)

inferior colliculus (an essential auditory center in the midbrain)

superior colliculus (an essential visual center between the retina and the striate cortex)

Wernicke's area; Wernicke's center (the auditory word center; located in the posterior part of the superior temporal convolution in most people)

Broca's area; Broca's center; Broca's convolution; Broca's gyrus; convolution of Broca (the motor speech center in the left hemisphere of the brain in most people)

olfactory brain; rhinencephalon (a center in the cerebral hemispheres that governs the sense of smell in lower animals; in humans it seems to mediate complex emotional behavior)

auditory center (the part of the brain (in a fold of the cerebral cortex of the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain) that receives impulses from the ear by way of the auditory nerve)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The object upon which interest and attention focuses

Example:

his stories made him the center of the party

Synonyms:

center; center of attention; centre; centre of attention

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

object (the focus of cognitions or feelings)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

eye-catcher (a striking person or thing that attracts attention)

cynosure (something that strongly attracts attention and admiration)

crosshairs (a center of interest)

conversation piece (something interesting that stimulates conversation)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

Example:

the nub of the story

Synonyms:

center; centre; core; essence; gist; heart; heart and soul; inwardness; kernel; marrow; meat; nitty-gritty; nub; pith; substance; sum

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

cognitive content; content; mental object (the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

bare bones ((plural) the most basic facts or elements)

hypostasis ((metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality)

haecceity; quiddity (the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other)

quintessence (the purest and most concentrated essence of something)

stuff (a critically important or characteristic component)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering

Synonyms:

center; centre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

confection; sweet (a food rich in sugar)

Holonyms ("centre" is a substance of...):

chocolate candy (candy made with chocolate)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A place where some particular activity is concentrated

Example:

they received messages from several centers

Synonyms:

center; centre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

place; property (any area set aside for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

nerve center; nerve centre (a center that provides information and control)

capital (a center that is associated more than any other with some activity or product)

Domain region:

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure

Synonyms:

center; centre; midpoint

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

point (the precise location of something; a spatially limited location)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

nucleus ((astronomy) the center of the head of a comet; consists of small solid particles of ice and frozen gas that vaporizes on approaching the sun to form the coma and tail)

nucleus (the positively charged dense center of an atom)

core (the central part of the Earth)

nombril (the center point on a shield)

navel; navel point (the center point or middle of something)

core (the center of an object)

center of mass; centre of mass (point representing the mean position of the matter in a body)

center of gravity; centre of gravity (the point within something at which gravity can be considered to act; in uniform gravity it is equal to the center of mass)

bull; bull's eye (the center of a target)

bowels (the center of the Earth)

center of curvature; centre of curvature (the center of the circle of curvature)

bight (the middle part of a slack rope (as distinguished from its ends))

Derivation:

centre (move into the center)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 8

Meaning:

An area that is approximately central within some larger region

Example:

they were in the eye of the storm

Synonyms:

center; centre; eye; heart; middle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("centre" is a kind of...):

area; country (a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centre"):

midstream (the middle of a stream)

seat (a center of authority (as a city from which authority is exercised))

midfield ((sports) the middle part of a playing field (as in football or lacrosse))

medical center (the part of a city where medical facilities are centered)

inner city (the older and more populated and (usually) poorer central section of a city)

hub (a center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation; a focal point around which events revolve)

financial center (the part of a city where financial institutions are centered)

storm center; storm centre (the central area or place of lowest barometric pressure within a storm)

central city; city center; city centre (the central part of a city)

center stage; centre stage (the central area on a theater stage)

Instance hyponyms:

City of London; the City (the part of London situated within the ancient boundaries; the commercial and financial center of London)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A low-lying region in central France

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Instance hypernyms:

French region (a geographical subdivision of France)

Holonyms ("Centre" is a part of...):

France; French Republic (a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Direct one's attention on something

Example:

Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies

Synonyms:

center; centre; concentrate; focus; pore; rivet

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "centre" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Verb group:

rivet (hold (someone's attention))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "centre"):

absorb; engross; engulf; immerse; plunge; soak up; steep (devote (oneself) fully to)

recall (cause one's (or someone else's) thoughts or attention to return from a reverie or digression)

think (focus one's attention on a certain state)

zoom in (examine closely; focus one's attention on)

hear; listen; take heed (listen and pay attention)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s on something

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Canada (a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move into the center

Example:

That vase in the picture is not centered

Synonyms:

center; centre

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "centre" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

centre (a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure)

Domain region:

Britain (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Their master lay upon his face in the centre of the room.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He placed his finger in the centre of the circle.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It contains many astronomical wonders, including the highly active star formation site of NGC 6559, the nebula at the centre of the image.

(Stellar Nursery Blooms into View, ESO)

An integrated physical and genetic linkage map of the human genome produced by the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) and the Genethon research laboratories.

(CEPH/Genethon Map, NCI Thesaurus)

In the centre of the dais were two very high chairs with dorserets, which arched forwards over the heads of the occupants, the whole covered with light-blue silk thickly powdered with golden stars.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Why, here are the cards themselves!” cried he; and he pulled a brown towel from something in the centre of the sideboard.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

About the centre, and a good way behind the rest, Silver and I followed—I tethered by my rope, he ploughing, with deep pants, among the sliding gravel.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

A double band of white shells were strung round the centre of it.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I fear, my beloved girl,” I said, little happiness remains for us on earth; yet all that I may one day enjoy is centred in you.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

A neoplasm of follicle centre B cells which has at least a partial follicular pattern.

(Follicular lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)