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 part of the outfield directly ahead of the catcher; "he
hit the ball to deep center" [syn: {centerfield}]
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 nub of the story" [syn: {kernel}, {substance},
{core}, {essence}, {gist}, {heart}, {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
10: (football) the person who plays center on the line of
scrimmage; "the center fumbled the handoff"
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
14: a modern complex of shops; "a good plaza should have a movie
house"; "they spent their weekends at the local malls"
[syn: {plaza}, {mall}, {shopping mall}, {shopping center}]
15: the position on a hockey team of the player who participates
in the face off at the beginning of the game
16: 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"
17: 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: focus one's attention on something [syn: {concentrate}, {focus},
{centre}, {pore}, {rivet}]
3: move into the center; "That vase in the picture is not
centered" [syn: {centre}]