centre

[ sen-ter ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

, cen·tred, cen·tring.

1. center.

centre

¹

/ 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

1. to move towards, mark, put, or be at a centre
2. tr to focus or bring together

   to centre one's thoughts

3. introften foll byon to have as a main point of view or theme

   the novel centred on crime

4. tr to adjust or locate (a workpiece or part) using a centre
5. intr; foll by on or round to have as a centre
6. tr sport to pass (the ball) into the middle of the field or court

Centre

²

noun

1. the Centre
   the sparsely inhabited central region of Australia
2. sɑ̃trə a region of central France: generally low-lying; drained chiefly by the Rivers Loire, Loir, and Cher

Word History and Origins

Origin of centre¹

C14: from Latin centrum the stationary point of a compass, from Greek kentron needle, from kentein to prick

Example Sentences

Taken as a whole, advertisers are set to spend a record £10.5bn this festive season, according to the Advertising Association and World Advertising Research Centre.

From BBC

Local reports estimate that at least 20 people, many of whom were struck while exercising at Zhuhai Sports Centre, were injured and have been sent to hospital.

From BBC

“A lot of big coffee companies are watching this field,” says Chahan Yeretzian, a professor of analytical chemistry, who heads the Coffee Excellence Centre at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.

From BBC

A number of nearby residents were evacuated, with Abergavenny Leisure Centre opened up to accommodate those affected and some still unable to return to their homes.

From BBC

The Centre for Chaplaincy in Education has put the rise down to the pressures felt by young people after the Covid 19 pandemic as well as the impact of social media.

From BBC