different between center vs centra
center
English
Alternative forms
- centre (UK, Ireland and all Commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc.)
Etymology
- Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek ??????? (kéntron), from ??????? (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”). Doublet of centrum.
- (group theory): In the notation Z(G), the letter Z derives from the German Zentrum (“center”).
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /?s?n.t?/, [?s????]
- (pin–pen merger) IPA(key): [?s????]
- (UK) IPA(key): /?s?n.t?(?)/
- Hyphenation: cen?ter
- Rhymes: -?nt?(?)
- Homophone: sinner (pin-pen merger)
- Homophone: centre
Noun
center (plural centers) (American spelling) (Canadian spelling, alternate)
- The point in the interior of a circle that is equidistant from all points on the circumference. [from 14th c.]
- 1908, Thomas L. Heath, translating Euclid, Elements, III.9:
- If a point be taken within a circle, and more than two equal straight lines fall from the point on the circle, the point taken is the centre of the circle.
- 1908, Thomas L. Heath, translating Euclid, Elements, III.9:
- The point in the interior of a sphere that is equidistant from all points on the circumference. [from 14th c.]
- 2005, David Adam, The Guardian, 4 Jun 2005:
- Japanese scientists are to explore the centre of the Earth. Using a giant drill ship launched next month, the researchers aim to be the first to punch a hole through the rocky crust that covers our planet and to reach the mantle below.
- 2005, David Adam, The Guardian, 4 Jun 2005:
- The middle portion of something; the part well away from the edges.
- (geometry) The point on a line that is midway between the ends.
- (geometry) The point in the interior of any figure of any number of dimensions that has as its coordinates the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of all points on the perimeter of the figure (or of all points in the interior for a center of volume).
- (group theory, ring theory) The subgroup (respectively, subring), denoted Z(G), of those elements of a given group (respectively, ring) G that commute with every element of G.
- A place where the greater part of some function or activity occurs.
- shopping center, convention center, civic center, garment center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Rockefeller Center
- A topic that is particularly important in a given context.
- the center of the controversy
- the center of attention
- (sports) A player in the middle of the playing area
- (basketball) The player, generally the tallest, who plays closest to the basket.
- (ice hockey) The forward that generally plays between the left wing and right wing and usually takes the faceoffs.
- (American football, Canadian football) The person who holds the ball at the beginning of each play.
- (netball) A player who can go all over the court, except the shooting circles.
- (soccer) A pass played into the centre of the pitch.
- (rugby) One of the backs operating in a central area of the pitch, either the inside centre or outside centre.
- (architecture) A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
- (engineering) One of the two conical steel pins in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
- (engineering) 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.
- (politics) The ensemble of moderate or centrist political parties.
- (Australia, New Zealand) The ring in the gambling game two-up in which the spinner operates.
Synonyms
- (point on a line midway between the ends): midpoint; see also Thesaurus:midpoint
- (point in the interior of figure with mean coordinates): centroid, center of gravity, center of mass
- (middle portion of something): middle, midst
Antonyms
- periphery
Derived terms
Translations
Adjective
center (not comparable) (American spelling)
- Of, at, or related to a center.
Synonyms
- central
Translations
Verb
center (third-person singular simple present centers, present participle centering, simple past and past participle centered) (American spelling)
- (transitive) To cause (an object) to occupy the center of an area.
- ????, Matthew Prior, Celia to Damon
- Thy joys are centred all in me alone.
- ????, Matthew Prior, Celia to Damon
- (transitive) To cause (some attribute, such as a mood or voltage) to be adjusted to a value which is midway between the extremes.
- (transitive) To give (something) a central basis.
- 2012, Michael Kaminski et al., Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology, chapter 7, 87:
- However, Lucas also centered the plot around the protection of the secret Death Star plans, which now filled the role of the clan treasure the enemy is seeking in Hidden Fortress; […]
- 2012, Michael Kaminski et al., Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology, chapter 7, 87:
- (intransitive) To concentrate on (something), to pay close attention to (something).
- (engineering) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
Usage notes
The spelling centre is standard in UK English. In Canada it is typical in proper names, e.g. Toronto Centre for the Arts, but "center" is also commonly used otherwise, e.g. shopping center, center of town. Both spellings can be encountered even in the same text; e.g. in NHL hockey where there are many Canadian and US teams, reference might be made to the "center" forward position and a "centre" where a game is played.
The indirect object of the intransitive verb is given the prepositions on, in, at, or around. At is primary used only in mathematical contexts. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary observes that center around is objected to by some people on the grounds that it is illogical, but states that it is an idiom, and thus that such objections are irrelevant. It offers revolve around as an alternative to center around for those who would avoid the idiom.
Related terms
- central
Translations
Further reading
- center in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- center in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- center at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
- Centre, centre, recent, tenrec
Spanish
Noun
center m (plural centers)
- (baseball) center
Swedish
Noun
center c or n
- n a centre; a place where some function or activity occurs; see also centrum
- c (uncountable, politics) the political centre, parties and politicians in between the left and right wings
- c (sports) a centre; midplayer of a team
Declension
center From the web:
- what century are we in
- what centers should be in a kindergarten classroom
- what century is it
- what center is located in the pons
- what centers are in a preschool classroom
- what centers are available in the nba
- what center wilmington nc
- what centers you
centra
English
Noun
centra
- plural of centrum
Anagrams
- Canter, Cretan, canter, carnet, creant, nectar, recant, tanrec, trance
Catalan
Verb
centra
- third-person singular present indicative form of centrar
- second-person singular imperative form of centrar
Dutch
Pronunciation
Noun
centra
- Plural form of centrum
Esperanto
Pronunciation
Adjective
centra (accusative singular centran, plural centraj, accusative plural centrajn)
- central
Derived terms
French
Verb
centra
- third-person singular past historic of centrer
Anagrams
- carnet, cernât, créant, encrât, tancer, trance
Italian
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -?ntra
Verb
centra
- third-person singular present indicative of centrare
- second-person singular imperative of centrare
Anagrams
- trance
Latin
Noun
centra
- nominative plural of centrum
- accusative plural of centrum
- vocative plural of centrum
Latvian
Noun
centra m
- genitive singular form of centrs
Polish
Noun
centra
- nominative plural of centrum
- accusative plural of centrum
- vocative plural of centrum
Portuguese
Verb
centra
- third-person singular present indicative of centrar
- second-person singular imperative of centrar
Romanian
Etymology
From French centrer.
Verb
a centra (third-person singular present centreaz?, past participle centrat) 1st conj.
- to center
Conjugation
Spanish
Verb
centra
- Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of centrar.
- Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of centrar.
- Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present indicative form of centrar.
Swedish
Noun
centra
- definite plural of centrum
- indefinite plural of centrum
centra From the web:
- what central idea is explicitly stated in the paragraph
- what central time
- what central idea of the speech is illustrated by this excerpt
- what central time am i in
- what central time is texas
- what central idea does this passage develop
- what central idea is implied in this paragraph
- what central idea is explored in both passages
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