center

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   in American football, the position of the player on the line of scrimmage who puts the ball in play

   It is a center's responsibility to get the football to the quarterback.

2. 2
   noun

   a building dedicated to a particular activity

   They were raising money to build a new center for research.

3. 3
   noun

   the piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher, as related to baseball

   I hit the ball to center.

4. 4
   noun

   a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process

   In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere.

5. 5
   noun

   the object upon which interest and attention focuses

   Their stories made them the center of the party.

6. 6
   noun

   the middle of a military or naval formation

   They had to reinforce the center.

7. 7
   noun

   a place where some particular activity is concentrated

   They received messages from several centers.

8. 8
   noun

   an area that is approximately central within some larger region

   It is in the center of town.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱent-der. Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)der. Latin centrumder. Middle French centrebor. Middle English center English center From Middle English center, centre, from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”). Doublet of centrum. * (group theory): In the notation Z(G), the letter Z derives from the German Zentrum (“center”).