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: left, right]
    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: center, 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, centerfield, center]
    3: a building dedicated to a particular activity; "they were
       raising money to build a new center for research" [syn:
       center, centre]
    4: a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the
       extremities of a figure [syn: center, 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, center,
       centre, 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,
       centre, center of attention, centre 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: center, 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: center, snapper]
    11: a place where some particular activity is concentrated;
        "they received messages from several centers" [syn:
        center, 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: center,
        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, center, 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: (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"
    18: a position on a basketball team of the player who
        participates in the jump that starts 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, center]
    2: direct one's attention on something; "Please focus on your
       studies and not on your hobbies" [syn: concentrate,
       focus, center, centre, pore, rivet]
    3: move into the center; "That vase in the picture is not
       centered" [syn: center, centre]

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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The middle or central portion of anything.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. The earth. [Obs.] --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. (Arch.) A temporary structure upon which the materials of
      a vault or arch are supported in position until the work
      becomes self-supporting.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   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

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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest
      on, or gather about, as a center.
      [1913 Webster]

            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

Center \Cen"ter\, Centre \Cen"tre\, v. t.
   1. To place or fix in the center or on a central point.
      --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To collect to a point; to concentrate.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thy joys are centered all in me alone. --Prior.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Mech.) To form a recess or indentation for the reception
      of a center.
      [1913 Webster] Centerbit

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

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

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

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

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