# center

Pronunciation: US say "SEN-tur" /ˈsɛn.(t)ɚ/; UK say "SEN-tuh" /ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. The middle region of something, at a distance from its edges or outer limits.
   - Simple: The middle part of something, away from the edges.
   - _The storm's most violent winds swirled around its center._
   - _Workers reinforced the bridge at its center, where stress is greatest._
2. A building or complex set aside for a particular function or activity.
   - Simple: A building or place made for a certain job or activity.
   - _The city opened a rehabilitation center for injured wildlife._
   - _Researchers gathered at the center to share their latest findings._
3. The point that is the same distance from every point on the edge of a circle or the surface of a sphere, or that lies midway between the two ends of a line.
   - Simple: The exact middle point of a circle, ball, or line, the same distance from every edge or end.
   - _The architect marked the center before laying out the circular courtyard._
   - _Each radius runs from the center to a point on the circumference._
6. The element of a subject or discussion that is regarded as the most important or decisive.
   - Simple: The most important point in a discussion or situation.
   - _The funding shortfall quickly became the center of the council debate._
   - _Cost, not safety, was at the center of the parents' complaints._
8. In basketball, the player (generally the tallest on the team) who plays closest to the basket.
   - Simple: In basketball, the player, usually the tallest, who plays nearest the basket.
   - _The center pulled down rebound after rebound under the hoop._
   - _Coaches often build their defense around a dominant center._
9. In ice hockey, the forward who plays between the left and right wings and usually takes the faceoffs.
   - Simple: In ice hockey, the forward who plays in the middle and usually takes the faceoffs.
   - _The center skated hard to break up the opposing rush._
   - _A two-way center contributes at both ends of the ice._
13. In American and Canadian football, the player who holds and snaps the ball to begin each play.
   - Simple: In football, the player who holds the ball at the start of each play.
   - _The center misjudged the snap, and the ball sailed past the quarterback._
   - _A reliable center steadies the entire offensive line._
10. In some team sports, such as rugby and netball, a player whose position is in the middle of the field or court.
   - Simple: In some team sports, a player who plays in the middle of the field or court.
   - _In rugby, the two centers line up in the middle of the back line, ready to break through the defense._
   - _Our netball coach moved her to center because she could keep running for the whole game without tiring._
11. The bloc of moderate or centrist political parties, positioned between the left and the right.
   - Simple: The group of political parties with moderate views, not far left or right.
   - _The new coalition drew support from the center and parts of the left._
   - _Reforms stalled when the center refused to back the budget._
12. The place where the head of government of a centralized state is based and rules from.
   - Simple: The place where a country's main leaders and government work and make decisions.
   - _The reforms were dictated from the center, with little input from outlying provinces._
   - _As the nation's center, the capital housed both the president and the parliament._

## Verb

4. To have one main thing as the focus, or to organize something around it.
   - Simple: To focus on one main thing, or to build something around it.
   - _The investigation centered on a series of late-night transactions._
   - _Many families center their weekends around their children's sports._
5. To position or adjust something so that it is at the middle of an area, or midway within a range of values.
   - Simple: To put or set something in the middle of a space or range.
   - _The designer centered the logo within the banner._
   - _Carefully center each tile before the adhesive sets._

## Adjective

7. Located at, belonging to, or relating to the central point.
   - Simple: At or near the middle of something.
   - _The center aisle was reserved for the wedding procession._
   - _Traffic in the center lane slowed to a crawl near the bridge._

## Noun

14. The Earth, or its innermost point, regarded as the fixed foundation and middle of the entire universe. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: In old belief, the Earth or its innermost point, seen as the fixed middle of the whole universe.

## Other meanings

- (noun) In soccer, a pass played into the central area before goal, usually from a wide position to create a chance.
- (noun) The point whose coordinates are the averages of the coordinates of all the points making up a figure, also called its centroid.
- (noun) A temporary frame that supports the materials of an arch or vault until the structure can hold itself up.
- (noun) One of two conical steel pins on a lathe that hold the workpiece and allow it to turn.
- (noun) A conical recess in the end of a shaft that receives the point of a lathe pin, allowing the work to turn.
- (verb) To make a conical recess in the end of a workpiece so it can receive the point of a lathe pin.
- (noun) In abstract algebra, the set of elements of a structure that commute with every other element, usually written Z(G).
- (noun) In the gambling game two-up, the ring within which the spinner tosses the coins.

## Origin

The word passed through Middle English and Middle French centre from Latin centrum, itself from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, "to prick, goad"). It is a doublet of centrum.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/center (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).