centre

Other forms: centres; centred; centring

Definitions of centre

1. noun

   an area that is approximately central within some larger region
   synonyms: center, eye, heart, middle

   examples:

   City of London

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

   types:

   center stage, centre stage

   the central area on a theater stage

   central city, city center, city centre

   the central part of a city

   storm center, storm centre

   the central area or place of lowest barometric pressure within a storm

   financial center

   the part of a city where financial institutions are centered

   hub

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

   inner city

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

   medical center

   the part of a city where medical facilities are centered

   midfield

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

   seat

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

   midstream

   the middle of a stream

   capital

   a seat of government

   civic center, down town, municipal center

   the center of a city

   county courthouse, county seat

   the town or city that is the seat of government for a county

   county town, shire town

   the town or city that is the seat of government for a shire

   see

   the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

   type of:

   area, country

   a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
2. noun

   a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
   synonyms: center, midpoint

   types:

   bight

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

   center of curvature, centre of curvature

   the center of the circle of curvature

   bowels

   the center of the Earth

   bull, bull's eye

   the center of a target

   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

   center of mass, centre of mass

   point representing the mean position of the matter in a body

   core

   the center of an object

   navel, navel point

   the center point or middle of something

   nombril

   the center point on a shield

   core

   the central part of the Earth

   nucleus

   the positively charged dense center of an atom

   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

   center of buoyancy, center of immersion, centre of buoyancy, centre of immersion

   (physics) the center of mass of the immersed part of ship or other floating object

   center of flotation, centre of flotation

   the center of gravity of a floating object

   barycenter

   (astronomy) the common center of mass around which two or more bodies revolve

   centroid

   the center of mass of an object of uniform density

   cob, corn cob, corncob

   the hard cylindrical core that bears the kernels of an ear of corn

   type of:

   point

   the precise location of something; a spatially limited location
3. noun

   the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
   synonyms: center, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, pith, substance, sum

   types:

   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

   distillation, quintessence

   the purest and most concentrated essence of something

   stuff

   a critically important or characteristic component

   type of:

   cognitive content, content, mental object

   the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned
4. noun

   the object upon which interest and attention focuses
   synonyms: center, center of attention, centre of attention

   types:

   conversation piece

   something interesting that stimulates conversation

   crosshairs

   a center of interest

   cynosure

   something that strongly attracts attention and admiration

   eye-catcher

   a striking person or thing that attracts attention

   type of:

   object

   the focus of cognitions or feelings
5. verb

   move into the center
   synonyms: center

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
6. verb

   direct one's attention on something
   synonyms: center, concentrate, focus, pore, rivet

   rivet

   hold (someone's attention)

   types:

   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

   drink, drink in

   be fascinated or spell-bound by; pay close attention to

   incline

   bend or turn (one's ear) towards a speaker in order to listen well

   type of:

   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
7. noun

   a place where some particular activity is concentrated
   synonyms: center

   types:

   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

   type of:

   place, property

   any area set aside for a particular purpose
8. noun

   a building dedicated to a particular activity
   synonyms: center

   types:

   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

   type of:

   building, edifice

   a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
9. noun

   a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process
   synonyms: center, nerve center, nerve centre

   types:

   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

   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

   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

   Wernicke's area, Wernicke's center

   the auditory word center; located in the posterior part of the superior temporal convolution in most people

   superior colliculus

   an essential visual center between the retina and the striate cortex

   inferior colliculus

   an essential auditory center in the midbrain

   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

   type of:

   neural structure

   a structure that is part of the nervous system
10. noun

    the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
    synonyms: center

    type of:

    confection, sweet

    a food rich in sugar