1. An area that is approximately central within some larger region
   "it is in the center of town";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn], middle, heart [Brit], eye
    
2. A building dedicated to a particular activity
   "they were raising money to build a new center for research";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn]
    
3. The piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher
   "he hit the ball to deep center";
   - center field [US], centerfield [US], centre [Brit, Cdn], centre field [Brit, Cdn]
    
4. A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
   "The bridge's highest point was at its center";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn], midpoint
    
5. The object upon which interest and attention focuses
   "his stories made him the center of the party"; "The newborn baby became the center of attention at the family gathering";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn], center of attention [US], centre of attention [Brit, Cdn]
    
6. The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
   "the center of the prosecutor's argument";
   - kernel, substance, core, centre [Brit, Cdn], essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty [informal]
    
7. A place where some particular activity is concentrated
   "they received messages from several centers";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn]
    
8. 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 center should have a movie house"; "a good shopping center should have a movie house";
   - plaza, mall, shopping mall, shopping center [US], shopping centre [Brit, Cdn], centre [Brit, Cdn]
    
9. A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process
   "in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn], nerve center [US], nerve centre [Brit, Cdn]
    
10. (military) the middle of a military or naval formation
    "they had to reinforce the center";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
11. Politically moderate persons; centrists
    "The party aimed to appeal to the center of the political spectrum";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
12. (basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team
    "The tall center dominated the game with his rebounds";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
13. A position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the jump that starts the game
    "At seven feet tall, he was the ideal center for the team";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
14. (football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback
    "the center fumbled the handoff";
    - snapper [N. Amer], centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
15. (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";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
16. (ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
    "The center won the face-off and passed the puck to his winger";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
17. The position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
    "The coach moved him to center";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]
     
18. The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
    "He bit into the chocolate to reveal a creamy caramel center";
    - centre [Brit, Cdn]

1. Center upon
   "Her entire attention centered on her children";
   - focus on, center on [US], revolve around, revolve about, concentrate on, centre [Brit, Cdn], centre on [Brit, Cdn]
    
2. Hold attention and exert mental effort on something
   "She centered her thoughts on solving the problem";
   - concentrate, focus, centre [Brit, Cdn], pore, rivet, pore over
    
3. Move into the center
   "That vase in the picture is not centered";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn]

1. Equally distant from the extremes
   "She sat at the center position in the group photo";
   - halfway, middle, midway, centre [Brit, Cdn]
    
2. Of or belonging to neither the right nor the left politically or intellectually
   "The center politician tried to appeal to both conservative and liberal voters";
   - centre [Brit, Cdn]

Derived forms: centering, centered, centers

See also: central, centrist, middle-of-the-road

Type of: area, basketball player, basketeer, bear on, building, cager, cerebrate, class, cogitate, cognitive content, concern, confection, content, country, displace, edifice, formation, have to do with, hockey player, hoopster [N. Amer, informal], ice-hockey player, lineman, mental object, mercantile establishment, move, neural structure, object, outlet, parcel, parcel of land, pertain, piece of ground, piece of land, place, point, position, property, refer, relate, retail store, sales outlet, social class, socio-economic class, stratum, sweet, think, touch, touch on, tract

Antonym: left, right

Part of: basketball team, choc [Brit, informal], choccy [informal], chocolate candy [N. Amer], chocolate sweet [Brit], eleven, five, football team, hockey team, outfield

Encyclopedia: Center, Pennsylvania