Center

11 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  center \cen"ter\ (s[e^]n"t[~e]r), n. [F. centre, fr. L. centrum,
     fr. Gr. ke`ntron any sharp point, the point round which a
     circle is described, fr. kentei^n to prick, goad.]
     1. A point equally distant from the extremities of a line,
        figure, or body, or from all parts of the circumference of
        a circle; the middle point or place.


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     2. The middle or central portion of anything.
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     3. A principal or important point of concentration; the
        nucleus around which things are gathered or to which they
        tend; an object of attention, action, or force; as, a
        center of attaction.
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     4. The earth. [Obs.] --Shak.
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     5. Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who
        support the existing government. They sit in the middle of
        the legislative chamber, opposite the presiding officer,
        between the conservatives or monarchists, who sit on the
        right of the speaker, and the radicals or advanced
        republicans who occupy the seats on his left, See {Right},
        and {Left}.
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     6. (Arch.) A temporary structure upon which the materials of
        a vault or arch are supported in position until the work
        becomes self-supporting.
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     7. (Mech.)
        (a) One of the two conical steel pins, in a lathe, etc.,
            upon which the work is held, and about which it
            revolves.
        (b) A conical recess, or indentation, in the end of a
            shaft or other work, to receive the point of a center,
            on which the work can turn, as in a lathe.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In a lathe the
  
     {live center} is in the spindle of the head stock; the
  
     {dead center} is on the tail stock.
  
     {Planer centers} are stocks carrying centers, when the object
        to be planed must be turned on its axis.
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     {Center of an army}, the body or troops occupying the place
        in the line between the wings.
  
     {Center of a curve} or {Center of a surface} (Geom.)
        (a) A point such that every line drawn through the point
            and terminated by the curve or surface is bisected at
            the point.
        (b) The fixed point of reference in polar coordinates. See
            {Coordinates}.
  
     {Center of curvature of a curve} (Geom.), the center of that
        circle which has at any given point of the curve closer
        contact with the curve than has any other circle whatever.
        See {Circle}.
  
     {Center of a fleet}, the division or column between the van
        and rear, or between the weather division and the lee.
  
     {Center of gravity} (Mech.), that point of a body about which
        all its parts can be balanced, or which being supported,
        the whole body will remain at rest, though acted upon by
        gravity.
  
     {Center of gyration} (Mech.), that point in a rotating body
        at which the whole mass might be concentrated
        (theoretically) without altering the resistance of the
        intertia of the body to angular acceleration or
        retardation.
  
     {Center of inertia} (Mech.), the center of gravity of a body
        or system of bodies.
  
     {Center of motion}, the point which remains at rest, while
        all the other parts of a body move round it.
  
     {Center of oscillation}, the point at which, if the whole
        matter of a suspended body were collected, the time of
        oscillation would be the same as it is in the actual form
        and state of the body.
  
     {Center of percussion}, that point in a body moving about a
        fixed axis at which it may strike an obstacle without
        communicating a shock to the axis.
  
     {Center of pressure} (Hydros.), that point in a surface
        pressed by a fluid, at which, if a force equal to the
        whole pressure and in the same line be applied in a
        contrary direction, it will balance or counteract the
        whole pressure of the fluid.
        [1913 Webster] Center

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Center \Cen"ter\, Centre \Cen"tre\ v. i. [imp. & p. p.
     {Centered} or {Centred} (s[e^]n"t[~e]rd); p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Centering} or {Centring}.]
     1. To be placed in a center; to be central.
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     2. To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest
        on, or gather about, as a center.
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              Where there is no visible truth wherein to center,
              error is as wide as men's fancies.    --Dr. H. More.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Our hopes must center in ourselves alone. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster] Center

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Center \Cen"ter\, Centre \Cen"tre\, v. t.
     1. To place or fix in the center or on a central point.
        --Milton.
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     2. To collect to a point; to concentrate.
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              Thy joys are centered all in me alone. --Prior.
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     3. (Mech.) To form a recess or indentation for the reception
        of a center.
        [1913 Webster] Centerbit

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  center
       adj 1: equally distant from the extremes [syn: {center(a)}, {halfway},
               {middle(a)}, {midway}]
       2: of or belonging to neither the right nor the left
          politically or intellectually [ant: {right}, {left}]
       n 1: an area that is approximately central within some larger
            region; "it is in the center of town"; "they ran forward
            into the heart of the struggle"; "they were in the eye
            of the storm" [syn: {centre}, {middle}, {heart}, {eye}]
       2: the piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the
          catcher; "he hit the ball to deep center" [syn: {center
          field}]
       3: a building dedicated to a particular activity; "they were
          raising money to build a new center for research" [syn: {centre}]
       4: a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the
          extremities of a figure [syn: {centre}, {midpoint}]
       5: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some
          idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's
          argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party";
          "the nub of the story" [syn: {kernel}, {substance}, {core},
           {essence}, {gist}, {heart}, {heart and soul}, {inwardness},
           {marrow}, {meat}, {nub}, {pith}, {sum}, {nitty-gritty}]
       6: the object upon which interest and attention focuses; "his
          stories made him the center of the party" [syn: {center of
          attention}]
       7: a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily
          process; "in most people the speech center is in the left
          hemisphere" [syn: {centre}, {nerve center}, {nerve centre}]
       8: the middle of a military or naval formation; "they had to
          reinforce the center"
       9: (basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball
          team
       10: (football) the person who plays center on the line of
           scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback; "the
           center fumbled the handoff" [syn: {snapper}]
       11: a place where some particular activity is concentrated;
           "they received messages from several centers" [syn: {centre}]
       12: politically moderate persons; centrists
       13: (ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
       14: the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is
           enclosed in chocolate or some other covering [syn: {centre}]
       15: mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully
           landscaped complex of shops representing leading
           merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a
           convenient parking area; a modern version of the
           traditional marketplace; "a good plaza should have a
           movie house"; "they spent their weekends at the local
           malls" [syn: {plaza}, {mall}, {shopping mall}, {shopping
           center}, {shopping centre}]
       16: the position on a hockey team of the player who participates
           in the face off at the beginning of the game
       17: 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"
       18: a position on a basketball team of the player who
           participates in the center jump to start the game
       v 1: center upon; "Her entire attention centered on her
            children"; "Our day revolved around our work" [syn: {focus
            on}, {center on}, {revolve around}, {revolve about}, {concentrate
            on}]
       2: direct one's attention on something; "Please focus on your
          studies and not on your hobbies" [syn: {concentrate}, {focus},
           {centre}, {pore}, {rivet}]
       3: move into the center; "That vase in the picture is not
          centered" [syn: {centre}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  213 Moby Thesaurus words for "center":
     activator, adductor, amateur athlete, approach, archer, athlete,
     attractant, attrahent, average, axiom, axis, balance, ballplayer,
     baseballer, baseman, batter, battery, blocking back, bosom, bowman,
     catcher, center of action, center of attraction, center of gravity,
     center on, center round, centermost, central, centralize, centrist,
     centroid, centrum, close, close in, close up, close with, coach,
     come together, competitor, compromise, concenter, concentralize,
     concentrate, converge, core, cricketer, cynosure, dead center,
     deepest recesses, defensive lineman, diameter, diaphragm, dynamo,
     elixir, end, energizer, epicenter, equator, equidistant, essence,
     essential, fall in with, fence, flower, focal point, focus,
     footballer, fundamental, funnel, games-player, gamester,
     generality, gist, golden mean, gravamen, guard, half measures,
     half-and-half measures, halfway, halfway measures, happy medium,
     heart, heart of hearts, hub, hypostasis, infielder, inner,
     inner essence, inner landscape, inner life, inner man,
     inner nature, inner recess, inner self, inside, interior,
     interior man, intermediary, intermediate, intern, internal,
     intersect, intrados, inward, jock, jumper, juste-milieu, kernel,
     lineman, lure, marrow, mean, meat, medial, median, mediocrity,
     medium, medulla, meet, metacenter, mid, middle, middle course,
     middle ground, middle point, middle position, middle state,
     middle way, middle-of-the-road, middle-of-the-roader, middlemost,
     midmost, midpoint, midriff, midst, moderantism, moderantist,
     moderate, moderate position, moderateness, moderation,
     moderationist, moderatism, moderatist, narrow the gap, nave, navel,
     nerve center, neutral ground, nip, norm, normal, nub, nucleus,
     nuts and bolts, offensive lineman, omphalos, outfield, outfielder,
     par, penetralia, pinch, pith, pivot, player, polestar, poloist,
     postulate, principle, professional athlete, pugilist, quarterback,
     quick, quid, quiddity, quintessence, racer, recesses, root, rule,
     run, run together, sap, seat, secret place, secret places, skater,
     soul, spirit, sport, sportsman, stimulant, storm center, stuff,
     substance, tackle, tailback, taper, the nitty-gritty, thick,
     thick of things, third force, toxophilite, umbilicus, unite,
     via media, vital center, vitals, waist, waistline, wingback,
     wrestler, zone
  
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Center, CO (town, FIPS 12855)
    Location: 37.75183 N, 106.10990 W
    Population (1990): 1963 (770 housing units)
    Area: 2.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 81125
  Center, KY
    Zip code(s): 42214
  Center, MO (city, FIPS 12592)
    Location: 39.50985 N, 91.52851 W
    Population (1990): 552 (272 housing units)
    Area: 1.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 63436
  Center, ND (city, FIPS 13180)
    Location: 47.11495 N, 101.29692 W
    Population (1990): 826 (351 housing units)
    Area: 0.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
  Center, NE (village, FIPS 8360)
    Location: 42.60891 N, 97.87588 W
    Population (1990): 112 (55 housing units)
    Area: 0.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 68724
  Center, TX (city, FIPS 13732)
    Location: 31.79353 N, 94.17827 W
    Population (1990): 4950 (2161 housing units)
    Area: 16.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 75935

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Center, NE -- U.S. village in Nebraska
     Population (2000):    90
     Housing Units (2000): 49
     Land area (2000):     0.107139 sq. miles (0.277488 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    0.107139 sq. miles (0.277488 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            08360
     Located within:       Nebraska (NE), FIPS 31
     Location:             42.608910 N, 97.876224 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     68724
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Center, NE
      Center
  

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Center, CO -- U.S. town in Colorado
     Population (2000):    2392
     Housing Units (2000): 848
     Land area (2000):     0.838020 sq. miles (2.170463 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    0.838020 sq. miles (2.170463 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            12855
     Located within:       Colorado (CO), FIPS 08
     Location:             37.752862 N, 106.110483 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     81125
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Center, CO
      Center
  

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Center, ND -- U.S. city in North Dakota
     Population (2000):    678
     Housing Units (2000): 310
     Land area (2000):     0.388800 sq. miles (1.006987 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    0.388800 sq. miles (1.006987 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            13180
     Located within:       North Dakota (ND), FIPS 38
     Location:             47.114928 N, 101.300361 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):    
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Center, ND
      Center
  

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Center, TX -- U.S. city in Texas
     Population (2000):    5678
     Housing Units (2000): 2290
     Land area (2000):     6.232461 sq. miles (16.141999 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.012825 sq. miles (0.033217 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    6.245286 sq. miles (16.175216 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            13732
     Located within:       Texas (TX), FIPS 48
     Location:             31.793705 N, 94.178463 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     75935
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Center, TX
      Center
  

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Center, MO -- U.S. city in Missouri
     Population (2000):    644
     Housing Units (2000): 309
     Land area (2000):     0.397189 sq. miles (1.028714 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    0.397189 sq. miles (1.028714 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            12592
     Located within:       Missouri (MO), FIPS 29
     Location:             39.509267 N, 91.528566 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     63436
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Center, MO
      Center