Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense centres, present participle centring, past tense, past participle centredregional note: in AM, use center
1. countable noun [oft in names]
A centre is a building where people have meetings, take part in a particular activity, or get help of some kind.
We went to a party at the leisure centre.
She now also does pottery classes at a community centre.
...the National Exhibition Centre.
2. countable noun
If an area or town is a centre for an industry or activity, that industry or activity is very important there.
London is also the major international insurance centre.
3. countable noun [usually singular]
The centre of something is the middle of it.
A large wooden table dominates the centre of the room. [+ of]
Bake until light golden and crisp around the edges and slightly soft in the centre.
Synonyms: middle, heart, focus, mid [archaic] More Synonyms of centre
4. countable noun [usually singular]
The centre of a town or city is the part where there are the most shops and businesses and where a lot of people come from other areas to work or shop.
...the city centre.
5. countable noun [usually singular]
If something or someone is at the centreof a situation, they are the most important thing or person involved.
...the man at the centre of the controversy. [+ of]
At the centre of the inquiry has been concern for the pensioners involved. [+ of]
6. countable noun [usually singular]
If someone or something is the centreof attention or interest, people are giving them a lot of attention.
The rest of the cast was used to her being the centre of attention. [+ of]
The centre of attraction was Pierre Auguste Renoir's oil painting. [+ of]
7. singular noun [oft NOUN noun]
In politics, the centre refers to groups and their beliefs, when they are considered to be neither left-wing nor right-wing.
The Democrats have become a party of the centre.
...the centre parties.
8. verb
If you centre something, you move it so that it is at the centre of something else.
Centre the design on the cloth before you start. [VERB noun on noun]
[Also VERB noun]
9. verb
If something centres or is centredon a particular thing or person, that thing or person is the main subject of attention.
...a plan which centred on academic achievement and personal motivation. [V + on/around]
All his concerns were centred around himself rather than Rachel. [Von/around n]
When working with patients, my efforts are centred on helping them to overcome illness. [beV-ed + on/around]
[Also V n on/around n]
-centredcombining form
...a child-centred approach to teaching.
...patient-centred care.
10. verb
If an industry or event is centred in a place, or if it centres there, it takes place to the greatest extent there.
Chinese restaurants have traditionally been centred around Chinatown. [beVERB-ed preposition]
The disturbances have centred round the two main university areas. [VERB preposition]
Between 100 and 150 travellers' vehicles were scattered around the county, with thelargest gathering centred on Ampfield. [VERB-ed]
11. See also community centre, detention centre, garden centre, health centre, job centre, left-of-centre, nerve centre, reception centre, remand centre, right-of-centre, shopping centre
centre in British English
or US center (ˈsɛntə)
noun
1. geometry
a.
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
b.
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
a.
a political party or group favouring moderation, esp the moderate members of a legislative assembly
b.
(as modifier)
a Centre-Left alliance
9. physiology
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
a.
a player who plays in the middle of the forward line
b.
the act or an instance of passing the ball from a wing to the middle of the field, court, etc
13. basketball
a.
the position of a player who jumps for the ball at the start of play
b.
the player in this position
14. archery
a.
the ring around the bull's eye
b.
a shot that hits this ring
verb
15.
to move towards, mark, put, or be at a centre
16. (transitive)
to focus or bring together
to centre one's thoughts
17. (intransitive; often foll byon)
to have as a main point of view or theme
the novel centred on crime
18. (transitive)
to adjust or locate (a workpiece or part) using a centre
19. (intr; foll by on or round)
to have as a centre
20. (transitive) sport
to pass (the ball) into the middle of the field or court
Word origin
C14: from Latin centrum the stationary point of a compass, from Greek kentron needle, from kentein to prick
Centre in British English
noun
1. the Centre
2. (French sɑ̃trə) the former name (until 2016) of Centre-Val de Loire
Centre in American English
(ˈsɑ̃ˈtʀ)
metropolitan region of central France, southwest of Paris: 15,116 sq mi (39,150 sq km); pop. 2,371,000; chief city, Orléans
centre in American English
(ˈsɛntər)
noun, verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈcentred or ˈcentring
Chiefly British
center
More idioms containing
centre
left, right, and centre
centre stage
COBUILD Collocations
centre
cultural centre
financial centre
research centre
residential centre
treatment centre
Examples of 'centre' in a sentence
centre
They got off at the city centre.
The Sun (2016)
The main focus is likely to centre around bringing track and train operations together.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It also means the political centre may yet hold.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Both liked to be the centre of attention.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Britain is also the world centre for libel.
The Sun (2016)
The scoop design keeps the centre panel hidden.
The Sun (2016)
Remember how Manchester had supposedly become the undisputed centre of the footballing universe?
The Sun (2016)
The centre sees 500 people a day.
The Sun (2016)
Securing a deal based on equivalence would probably be enough for London to retain its status as a global financial centre.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
We expect over a million people visiting our centres.
The Sun (2015)
The election result showed that the centre ground of politics has not moved.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
City centres are really its natural environment.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We enable them to have groups in our centre.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The source said the most likely target would have been a crowded city centre shopping area.
The Sun (2008)
Motorists who hog the motorway centre lane were also particularly unpopular.
The Sun (2008)
The new centre is intended to house important research facilities.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The conversations centre around three main topics.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Thus the approach taken in this book centres around the two complementary issues of attitude and skill.
Atkinson, Jacqueline M Coping with Stress at Work (1988)
Health screening centres may also offer to test your fitness.
Petch, Dr Michael BMA Family Doctor Guide - Heart Disease (1989)
They all want to be the centre of attention.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Her dark lustrous hair was cut short and parted in the centre of her head.
John Cornwell Seminary Boy (2006)
This would inevitably move the party towards the centre.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Is playing centre court like performing on stage?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It spent another taking adults to care centres.
The Sun (2008)
The call centre fundraising industry is certainly big business.
The Sun (2015)
That the publications produced by this centre focus on reform and are consistently critical of the regime was ignored.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The centres are designed for mobile workers who need internet access or courier services or who wish to scan and print documents.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Word lists with
centre
French regions, rugby
In other languages
centre
British English: centre /ˈsɛntə/ NOUN
The centre of something is the middle of it.
...the centre of the room.
American English: center
Arabic: وَسَط
Brazilian Portuguese: centro
Chinese: 中心
Croatian: središte
Czech: střed
Danish: center
Dutch: centrum
European Spanish: centro
Finnish: keskus
French: centre
German: Zentrum
Greek: κέντρο
Italian: centro
Japanese: 中心
Korean: 중심
Norwegian: sentrum
Polish: centrum
European Portuguese: centro
Romanian: centru
Russian: центр
Latin American Spanish: centro
Swedish: mitt centrum
Thai: ศูนย์กลาง
Turkish: merkez
Ukrainian: центр
Vietnamese: trung tâm
All related terms of 'centre'
call centre
A call centre is an office where people work answering or making telephone calls for a particular company .
centre bit
a drilling bit with a central projecting point and two side cutters
centre-fire
(of a cartridge ) having the primer in the centre of the base
centre half
a defender who plays in the middle of the defence
centre pass
a push or hit made in any direction to start the game or to restart the game after a goal has been scored
city centre
The city centre is the busiest part of a city, where most of the shops and businesses are.
cost centre
a unit, such as a department of a company, to which costs may be allocated for cost accounting purposes
dead centre
the exact top ( top dead centre ) or bottom ( bottom dead centre ) of the piston stroke in a reciprocating engine or pump
job centre
In Britain, a job centre is a place where people who are looking for work can go to get advice on finding a job, and to look at advertisements placed by people who are looking for new employees .
law centre
an office, usually staffed by professional volunteers , at which free legal advice and information are provided to the general public
live centre
a conically pointed rod mounted in the headstock of a lathe that locates and turns with the workpiece
off-centre
If something is off-centre , it is not exactly in the middle of a space or surface.
play-centre
a regular meeting of small children arranged by their parents or a welfare agency to give them an opportunity of supervised creative play
rest centre
a place where people can rest
soft centre
a chocolate that has a soft filling
the Centre
the sparsely inhabited central region of Australia
town centre
the most important commercial or business area of a town, containing most of the shops , banks , restaurants etc
active centre
the region in an enzyme molecule in which the reactive groups that participate in its action are juxtaposed
centre court
the main court of a tennis complex , esp at Wimbledon
centre ground
the nominal space in the political spectrum that is neither right or left
centre punch
a small steel tool with a conical tip used to punch a small indentation at the location of the centre of a hole to be drilled
centre spread
the pair of two facing pages in the middle of a magazine , newspaper , etc, often illustrated
centre stage
If something or someone takes centre stage , they become very important or noticeable .
civic centre
the public buildings of a town, including recreational facilities and offices of local administration
craft centre
a large shop that sells craftwork
crisis centre
a place providing help to victims of crime , natural disasters , etc
field centre
a research centre equipped for field studies, usually located in or near an area of scientific interest
garden centre
A garden centre is a large shop , usually with an outdoor area, where you can buy things for your garden such as plants and gardening tools.
health centre
A health centre is a building in which a group of doctors have offices or surgeries where their patients can visit them.
music centre
a single hi-fi unit containing (for example) a turntable , amplifier , radio, cassette player, and compact disc player
nerve centre
The nerve centre of an organization is the place from where its activities are controlled and where its leaders meet .
profit centre
a unit or department of a company that is responsible for its costs and its profits
rehab centre
a centre or clinic where people with an alcohol or drug addiction are treated
remand centre
In Britain, a remand centre is an institution where people who are accused of a crime are sent until their trial begins or until a decision about their punishment has been made.
sports centre
a place where people take part in sports
storm centre
the centre of a cyclonic storm , etc, where pressure is lowest
urban centre
an urban area that is large and heavily populated
youth centre
a centre providing leisure activities for young people, often associated with a church or community centre
aquatic centre
a complex with facilities for water sports , including swimming pools
birthing centre
a private maternity hospital
business centre
a place providing office facilities and services
centre forward
A centre-forward in a team sport such as football or hockey is the player or position in the middle of the front row of attacking players.
centre section
the constricted part of the trunk between the ribs and hips
contact centre
an office where staff carry out an organization's telephone transactions
cultural centre
If an area or town is a centre for an industry or activity, that industry or activity is very important there.
daycare centre
an establishment offering daycare to preschool children, enabling their parents to work full time or have extended relief if child care is a problem
fitness centre
a place which has gym equipment
freezer centre
a store that specializes in selling freezers
heritage centre
a museum that houses exhibits describing the culture and history of a particular place and its inhabitants
leisure centre
A leisure centre is a large public building containing different facilities for leisure activities , such as a sports hall, a swimming pool , and rooms for meetings.