centre1 nouncentre2 verb
centrecen‧tre1 British English, center American English /ˈsentə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A bomb has exploded in the crowded business district in the centre of the old city.
- a charming little town with an unspoiled medieval centre
- I work in the centre of London, so I can easily go shopping after work.
- She's gone into the town centre to do some shopping.
- The flower has white petals, and is deep pink at the centre.
- The women all wore a red dot right in the centre of their foreheads.
- All the real understanding of the Universe accumulated by Esotericism throughout the ages has come to man via the higher mental centre.
- As the eggs sink to the bottom they are guided towards the centre, where the aeration sweeps them upwards again.
- For example, the Kornhaus, a former granary in Kronengasse, which is now principally a young people's centre.
- In one feeding centre the room for the dead had become a Koranic school for young children.
- In the early hours of Jan. 13 troops from the local Red Army garrison stormed the Vilnius television centre.
- It was converted into a monitoring centre with numerous listening consoles and bays of multi-track tape recorders.
- On August 29, Manuel Indiano Azaustre, 29, was shot dead in the town centre.
Longman Language Activatorwhen someone or something gets a lot of attention
· The young Senator is getting a lot of attention.· The film has attracted considerable attention since it was released last week.
British /be the center of attention American if someone or something is the centre of attention everyone is very interested in them and gives them a lot of attention: · I loved talking and being the centre of attention, so I was chosen to be spokesperson.· Eliot argued that it should be the poetry, not the poet's personality, that is the center of attention.
if someone or something, often a bad situation, is the focus of attention , everyone is paying it a lot of attention: · The earthquake has made skyscrapers the focus of attention.· The Airline became the focus of attention yesterday after its stock fell dramatically to 31 cents.· Suddenly Carmichael, the shy lead singer, was the focus of millions of young girls' attention.
the interest that people show in someone or something: · Jerry loves the attention he gets when he's performingmedia attention (=attention from newspapers, television etc): · The intense media attention surrounding the case, has made it very difficult for the family to cope.
the middle the part of something, such as a space or area, a piece of writing, or a period of time, which is half way between one side and the other, or halfway between the beginning and the end: · "Did you enjoy the movie?" "It was OK but I got a little bored towards the middle."middle of: · Gary rowed out towards the middle of the lake.· It was the middle of summer.· Going through the middle of Tokyo in the rush hour can be a nightmare.
British /center American the middle of a space, area, or object, especially the exact middle: · The flower has white petals, and is deep pink at the centre.· I love chocolates with soft centers.the centre of something: · Draw a line through the center of the circle.at the centre/in the centre (of something) (=exactly in the middle of something): · A bomb has exploded in the crowded business district in the centre of the old city.right in the centre (=exactly in the centre): · The women all wore a red dot right in the centre of their foreheads.
the middle of an area, town, or city: · The hotel is located in the heart of Moscow.· a quiet village in the heart of the English countryside
the central part of a large object such as a very large rock or the Earth: · The Earth has a solid inner core 2500 km in diameter.· Only the core of the volcano remained.
in the middle · At the back there was a small garden with a fishpond in the middle.· I was never at the top of my class. I was somewhere in the middle, I suppose.in the middle of · Lizzie woke up in the middle of the night with a toothache.· At the time, the country was in the middle of an economic recession.
: the middle drawer/shelf/finger etc the one in the middle: · You'll find the scissors in the middle drawer of my desk.· Jane was wearing a gold ring on her middle finger.· There were three children in my family, and I was the middle one.
in the middle of an area, country, or town: · The houses face onto a central courtyard.· the tropical rainforest in central Africa· central London
British /center American: centre door/panel/page etc the door etc that is in the middle with others on either side: · On the center panel of the screen there is a painting of a Greek goddess.· There's usually a picture of some glamorous girl on the centre page.
British /at/in the center American exactly in the middle of something: · It was a huge room with a high ceiling and an oak table in the centre.at/in the centre of: · At the center of the atom is the nucleus.· The city of Turin stands at the centre of the Piedmontese plain.
at the middle point between two places or of a period of time or event: halfway across/between/down/up etc: · Our car broke down halfway across the bridge.· We were halfway down the mountain when it started snowing.· Joe was pretty unhappy and left the college halfway through the year.the halfway mark (=the middle point of something): · The Scots opened up a 29-17 lead, and at the halfway mark they were still in front.
in or near the middle of a period of time: · The house was built in the mid-18th century.· As the value of the US dollar fell in the mid-1980s, so did the value of UK reserves.· Let's meet again mid-week.
at the middle point of a distance, a period of time, or a set of numbers: midway between/through: · The islands lie in the Indian Ocean midway between Madagascar and Tanzania.· United took the lead midway through the first half.· At a guess, I'd say he was midway between 50 and 60.
the point that is an equal distance from either end of a process or scale: · The Redskins and the Giants were the leaders as the midpoint in the season drew near.midpoint of: · By the midpoint of the twentieth century, the economy had begun to improve.
moderate beliefs, opinions etc having opinions or beliefs, especially about politics, that are not extreme and that most people consider reasonable or sensible: · The new church leaders are more moderate in their plans for reform.· The party's moderate leadership wants open relations with the West.· Moderate socialists believe in democratic reform rather than revolution.
not including any extreme or important changes, and keeping to ordinary, safe political aims, especially in order to avoid criticism, opposition, or risk: · He made a direct appeal to middle-of-the-road voters.· Lee described her politics as "middle-of-the-road."
the area of political opinion that most people agree about, even if they support different political parties: · The health care proposal holds the middle ground, and reformers hope it will gain support.find a middle ground: · This issue is so important the two parties are going to have to find a middle ground.occupy the middle ground (=support the opinions of the middle ground): · The Social Democrats wanted to occupy the middle ground between the Conservative and Labor parties in Britain.
British /the center American the area of political opinion between the opinions of the more extreme political parties: · The party has moved towards the centre in recent years.centre-right/centre-left (=having qualities of both the center and the right or left in politics): · He will require the backing of the center-left in order to advance his center-right agenda.
different types of political opinions and parties supporting the political aims of groups that strongly support conservative ideas and the capitalist economic system: · He is known for his extreme right-wing views.· a right-wing conservative MP
supporting the political aims of groups such as Socialists and Communists: · A lot of colleagues were put off by her left-wing opinions.· a left-wing politician
also the Left political parties such as the Socialists and Communists: · The new law has been severely criticized by politicians on the left.
also the Right political parties which strongly support conservative ideas and the capitalist economic system: · Politicians on the right have welcomed these new proposals.
British /the center American a middle position in politics which does not support extreme ideas: · The party seems to be becoming less radical, and drifting more towards the centre.
the centre of a town or city British /center American the part of a town or city where most of the shops, banks, theatres etc are: · a charming little town with an unspoiled medieval centrecentre of: · I work in the centre of London, so I can easily go shopping after work.city centreBritish /city center American: · A bomb went off in the city center and 19 people were killed.town centre British: · She's gone into the town centre to do some shopping.
American in or to the part of a city where most of the shops, banks, theatres etc are: · She lives in a really beautiful apartment downtown.go downtown: · I have to go downtown later.
British spoken in or into the centre of a town or city: · I suggest we meet somewhere in town and have lunch together.· He bought us tickets to the best show in town.· I'm going into town. Do you want anything?· Can you give me a lift into town?
the areas that are close to the centre of a big city, especially where many poorer people live and there are often social problems - use this especially in political and economic contexts: · policies aimed at revitalizing America's inner citiesthe inner city: · Suburban styles of life are very different from those in the inner city.
WORD SETSbalk, verbball game, nounball park, nounballplayer, nounbase, nounbaseline, nounbat, verbbatter, nounblooper, nounbreak, nounbull pen, nounbunt, verbcatch, verbcatcher, nouncentre, noundesignated hitter, noundiamond, noundouble, noundouble, verbdouble-header, noundouble play, nounfastball, nounfirst base, nounfly, verbfly, nounfly ball, nounfoul, verbgrand slam, noungrounder, nounheavy hitter, nounhome base, nounhome plate, nounhomer, nounhome run, nouninfield, nouninning, nounmidfielder, nounmitt, nounmound, nounpark, nounpinch-hit, verbpitch, nounpitch, verbpitcher, nounpitchout, nounplate, nounpop fly, nounrebound, verbrebound, nounrun, nounshortstop, nounshut-out, nounsingle, nounslam dunk, nounslugger, nounspring training, nounsteal, verbstrikeout, nountriple, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 2types of centre
subsidized day care facilities
· They are building a huge new shopping centre just outside the town.
· For further details contact the Tourist Information Centre.
· The forest has a visitor centre with information and refreshment facilities.
British English (=for sport and other leisure activities)· There's a leisure centre with a swimming pool, a sauna, and a gymnasium.
· You could join exercise classes at your local sports centre.
British English (=where you can buy plants, trees etc)· The garden centre stocks a wide variety of houseplants.
(=for art, music, theatre, film etc)· Shall we go to the concert at the arts centre on Saturday?
· The exhibition centre has an interesting display of contemporary art.
· the new research centre at King's College Hospital
· Westgate Hotel has sixty bedrooms and a conference centre.
· He was a new recruit at the police training centre.
(=where there are several doctors you can see for medical treatment)· The village has a small school and a health centre.
British English (=where old, sick etc people can go during the day to be looked after)· A new day centre for the over 70s has recently opened.
(=where people living in an area can go for social events, classes etc)· The church has been converted into a community centre.
· Many elderly people come to the education centre to learn to use computers.
(=a place in Britain where jobs are advertised)· I got the job through an advertisement at the job centre.
(=where young people can go to meet and take part in activities)· The money will be used to provide a youth centre.
Meaning 3types of centre· Boston is a leading financial centre.
· The company has branches worldwide in fifteen major business centres.
· Our city is the biggest commercial centre in the country.
· Paris was then the cultural centre of Europe.
· Our destination was Queenstown, a tourist centre set amid mountains and lakes.
· The town was a trading centre for the Romans.
· The region has been named as a major centre of international terrorism.
· The Asian Pacific Rim is a major world centre of commerce, industry, and economic activity.
· Zurich is an international centre of finance.
· The gardens are a national centre for botanical research.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· They offer a 24-hour advice service to customers.
British English, the city center American English· The hotel is in the city centre.
British English, community center American English (=where people can go for social events, classes etc)· A community centre is the ideal place for local residents to get together to discuss crime prevention.
(=a building or group of buildings used for conferences)
· The idea became the centre of a bitter controversy.
(=a prison)
British English, a craft center American English (=building where you can see different crafts and buy things)
subsidized day care facilities British English, an exhibition center American English (=a large building for holding exhibitions)· The exhibition will be held in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
British English, a garden center American English (=a shop selling plants and things for the garden)· I bought the plants at the garden centre.
(=opinions that are not extreme that most people would agree with) Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion).
Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion). (=a place where you can play sports etc)· The local leisure centre has a swimming pool and a sauna.
· They're only a five minute stroll away from the main resort centre with all its bars, restaurants and nightlife.
British English, be at the center of a scandal American English· The banker at the centre of the scandal has disappeared.
British English, be at the center of a storm American English (=be the person or thing that is causing strong protest, criticism etc)· He has been at the centre of a storm surrounding donations to the party.
· Egypt became a popular tourist destination in the nineteenth century.
British English, the center of town/the town center American English· The hotel was right in the center of town.
British English, a weather bureau American English (=a place where information about the weather is collected and where reports are produced)· The London Weather Centre has issued a warning that there could be extremely heavy rain and high winds over the next 24 hours.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Portree has long been the commercial centre of the Isle of Skye.· Yet a one man business for immigrants in the commercial centre of the city was an anachronism.· Twenty years ago London Road was a busy, thriving commercial centre thronged with shoppers.· Over the next few hundred years, Tewkesbury remained a busy commercial centre, often ranked only second to Gloucester.· The church dominates the commercial centre with its clock tower visible from the housing developments on the outskirts.· It is renowned as a business and commercial centre.· Things could get especially complicated in Kano, the north's biggest commercial centre.· Birmingham is less attractive because it has remained the commercial centre of the Midlands.
· It's a tourist and cultural centre as well as a centre for violence.· The bus station was similarly desolate, while the cinema, cultural centre, public baths and a hospital have closed.· The builders are not using any nails in the construction, in an effort to build an authentic cultural centre.· And from the affluence they have brought has come Winterthur's other fame as a cultural centre.· But, what is there for the art enthusiast in this cultural centre?· In the later Middle Ages, Prague was an important merchant city and cultural centre.· It is also a significant conference and cultural centre.
· The Corporation, which controls London's financial centre, wants to cut back on free parking bays.· Fears that London's reputation as the world's leading financial centre has been permanently damaged are considered to be exaggerated.· For example, Frankfurt could pose a real challenge to London as a financial centre for the futures markets.· The billion-dollar question was whether a devaluation of the dollar would jeopardize New York's position as a financial centre.· It is about time that we started to realise that the financial centre of London is not the key to our success.· People feared that turning the City into Fort Knox would damage its attraction as a financial centre.· The financial centre Bank is the finest architectural arena in the City.· In the early 1980s a greater number of Arab banks was represented in London than in any Arab capital or financial centre.
· A local shows centre, Duckhurst Farm, holds clear round jumping on Saturday afternoons.· Nigel also took up aerobics at his local sports centre.· Some years back, when he had a young family, Lewry joined his local National Trust centre.· I recently saw them at my local garden centre.· If you feel energetic, you could join exercise classes at your local sports centre, village hall or other venue.· A local volunteer centre or Age Concern group should be able to match up talents with projects that need them.· Nice - at a price Our local garden centre stocks Sterlets.· Then the local centre for the handicapped lent them a wheelchair, so they were able to get out and about.
· The First World War saw enormous advances in flight technology, and Glasgow was a major centre for aircraft production.· Later, Valencia came to dominate as the major lustreware centre.· Now it is a major shopping centre and a centre for professional services and newspaper printing.· It was also a major tourist centre.· Edo itself also acted as a major centre of commercial activity.· There were visits to London Docklands, a major bank training centre and all the main City institutions.· The area has always been a major centre for the narcotics trade.· Kharkov was a major centre for metallurgy, chemical, and machine-building plants.
· The new centre will offer a range of pupil activities and will be available to schools throughout the country.· Where new road patterns or a new shopping centre affect trade, appeal.· One bright spot will be a new materials research centre at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California.· Read in studio Campaigners against a new detention centre for the immigration service have held a torchlight protest.· Ossett today demonstrates that sturdy individuality in an increasing variety of businesses and services as well as their new centre of Wellgate.· They want to prevent the opening of a new detention centre at Campsfield House in Kidlington.· Vladimir After the decline of Kiev, a new centre of power and influence was slowly established in the region of Moscow.· Macmillan College expects to open its new leisure centre for school and community use in June.
NOUN· Forty minutes later I parked outside a slate-grey office block in the business centre.· Obviously this was not conclusive, L A is a pretty vital business centre, you would expect millionaires to congregate there.· A government report concluded in 1986 that we must move beyond being a production base, to being an international business centre.· Businessmen outlined their views on future government policies when two General Election candidates visited the Belasis business centre, Billingham.· The redundant building was advertised as a potential business centre, equipped with offices and laboratory space.
· And an information day is being planned for anyone wanting to learn more about the day care centre appeal.· Linked with the day care centre this service provides specialist home support for carers and suffers. ii Crossroads care Attendant Schemes.· The day care centre can often be the link to other agencies when special needs are identified.· Each petty sessions area has an allocated care centre to which cases may be transferred if the relevant criteria are met.· In certain circumstances public law proceedings may be commenced in a county court care centre.· It will also include retail and leisure units, community facilities and a health care centre.· He remembered the maternity unit - long closed, the day care centre and the wards, all with their characteristics.
· At the city centre slid out of the skin and moved away thought the dense crowds.· Hotel am Thielenplatz A modern hotel situated right in the city centre and only 300 metres walk from the railway station.· Budapest is to ban all cars with two-stoke engines from the city centre unless they are fitted with a catalytic converter.· His farm is about eight miles from Bradford city centre.· At times, his music has the fragmented feel of a late-night stroll through a busy city centre!· He had returned for lunch from his office in the city centre.· Voice over Bob Peckham has been juggling for 12 years he regularly entertains shoppers in Oxford city centre.· This option would cost £85 million, or if the trains were put in tunnels through the city centre, £105 million.
· Meanwhile, Unix System Labs has negotiated a Unix showcase area squat at the front door of the conference centre.· But the playroom is to be absorbed into the retreat and conference centre next year.· Ideally situated close to the town and conference centre, on the Brighton border and just off the seafront.· Around the conference centre, the party rocks on with blithe disregard for the economic and political turbulence beyond.· The conference centre contained one of the main entrances to the bunker.· Size of conference centre 194 points 4.· Located in a perfect position close to the seafront, entertainment, town centre and conference centre.· They are just as important though as what goes on in the main body of the conference centre.
· At the time we saw her, Jean was living in a hostel in North London and attending a psychiatric day centre.· These included parents, under-fives workers, specialist workers, children's day centre organisers and playgroups organisers.· Some proposals include provision of a day centre and respite care.· Their main line of support is through the day centre manager.· The day centre manager is totally responsible for the day to day management of the centre including transport, meals etc.· Review day centre availability across Lothian.· Staff and parents need to be strongly motivated to seek an integrated placement in a children's day centre or nursery school.
· Read in studio A new detention centre for immigrants has taken delivery of its first inmates, despite protests from local people.· The judge gave Abraham a seven-year sentence in a juvenile detention centre, after which he will be released.· So they put me in a detention centre for six months.· Then again you may be taken from the detention centre to Pentonville Prison and locked up there if you complain.· Read in studio Campaigners against a new detention centre for the immigration service have held a torchlight protest.· It's planned to turn part of the site into a detention centre for the immigration service.· Campsfield will house 200 people making it the biggest detention centre for immigrants in the country.· They want to prevent the opening of a new detention centre at Campsfield House in Kidlington.
· A new garden centre has opened which specialises in plants which can't be bought anywhere else.· Eventually it blossomed into a garden centre.· Next step you would think is to go to the garden centre and look for holly bushes with boy and girl names?· I recently saw them at my local garden centre.· Although they always look so tempting on the garden centre shelf, they are known to be very hard to please.· Locally, fleece may be available from your garden centre but do check the quality and price before buying.· In fact garden centre granite would do, and is very cheap.· From a busy garden centre, the company supplies roses, shrubs, trees and bedding plants, all at competitive prices.
· Adolescents, men, the homeless, and people with sexually transmitted diseases may not feel comfortable in a health centre.· A community psychiatry system was adopted which had the mental health centre at the middle.· The district nurse is attached to the general practitioner surgery or health centre.· The old police station is now the health centre with four doctors and several community nurses.· That health centre job must really pay.· The cash has bought medical equipment which will be presented tomorrow in Mr Horne's name to the town's health centre.
· In other words, a topic is included if there is an information centre, source or service covering it.· A tree lined avenue leads to Minehead's shopping centre and the district's main tourist information centre.· Nearby, the National Trust has an information centre, and there is a camping site.· Follow the road back to the Forestry information centre at Glenmoret.· When you reach the main road at the information centre, turn right for the car park.· The town hall is set to reopen next year and will include a tourist information centre, library and concert room.· Centre safe: Cleveland County Council has safeguarded the future of the county's busiest tourist information centre for the next year.· The Stock Exchange is an information centre.
· Local Activities: walks, golf, fishing, leisure centre.· Joanna suddenly wandered into the leisure centre 36 hours later.· A new hotel and leisure centre.· To sum up, Kitzbuhel is a major year round sporting and leisure centre and as such offers every facility.· Joanna, 25, walked into the leisure centre where she works at 7am yesterday after vanishing on Tuesday.· Charity dip: Hundreds of swimmers raised more than £1,000 for Cleveland charities in a superswim at Eston leisure centre.· The client is also understood to be working up proposals for the final phase of the project to build a leisure centre.
· Later he set up his own research centre, the Glynn Research Laboratories in Cornwall.· Forty years ago the Theatre Collection was founded as a research centre for staff and students in the Drama Department.· In addition to stimulating specific projects, a research centre for solar energy is due to be established.· Diana opened the first research centre that treated patients.· According to the tour guides, the place is a working research centre.· Now she has joined the Breakthrough fundraising drive to build a research centre in London.· There is a fibres research centre at Gloucester plus two development centres - one for textile applications and one for carpets.· The research centre provides specialist coursework, in parallel with that provided Faculty-wide on research method and design.
· The number of people in the catchment area of the resource centre who now seek residential care has dropped dramatically.· The Centre maintains a documentary resources centre and has recently set up a national ethnic minority statistical database.· The learning resources centre serves teachers and learners alike.· Also historical resource centre and family history department.· The Institute offers facilities for computer-assisted learning, as well as a self-access centre, library and teachers' resource centre.· There will also be an Internet resource centre for analytical scientists.
· One new shopping centre planned for Budapest would increase traffic in and out the city by an estimated 20,000 cars a day.· The private developers have pursued the investment route with regard to the shopping centre, and to smaller sector shopping centres on particular estates.· I ended up dining in a Pizza Hut in the basement of the shopping centre, the only customer in the place.· Where new road patterns or a new shopping centre affect trade, appeal.· Houseman's Shropshire that was once visible from Telford's shopping centre has been very carefully and skilfully gnawed away.· During our stay in Leeds we visited: The county Arcade shopping centre.· Six others were found and made safe after a nineteen hour search of the shopping centre.
· By day, the Pirates Club takes centre stage with games, activities and competitions - even the parents join in!· After years in the doldrums, Opec has grabbed centre stage once more.· The debate about who should pay what tax in the underdeveloped world has moved centre stage.· One particularly macabre statue of Saint Sebastian, arrows poking out of every limb, was given centre stage.· As she says herself, this is one lady born to be centre stage.· What measures of success might there be if the goal of changing client behaviour in some way is no longer centre stage?· Management development therefore moves centre stage, and this is for two reasons.
· Alan Model, 35, made the illegal stop in a town centre as he popped into a shop.· Read in studio Women are being warned not to walk alone at night after two attacks in Swindon town centre.· It is conveniently situated close to the town centre and the sea, which can be seen from several of the rooms.· Claims that people would be put off travelling to the town centre because of lack of parking were dismissed.· The town centre is within easy reach - approximately a six minute walk away.· Tories fail to halt pedestrian plan A last-ditch attempt to delay the introduction of pedestrianisation in Darlington town centre was defeated.· Dates set for town centre traffic ban Darlington's town centre traffic ban comes into force on March 29.· Casino: The casino in the town centre is open in July and August.
· Other facilities will include an educational resource and training centre.· They have tree planting campaigns and regular fundraising for another building to be built on the grounds of the training centre.· Read in studio Children with Cerebral Palsy could soon lose the training centre that helps them to overcome their handicap.· Interested parties should contact the training centre for details.· It offers a nine-month workshop in print, radio and television journalism to graduates at its training centre in Brussels.· There were visits to London Docklands, a major bank training centre and all the main City institutions.
VERB· Castlemore is still working up proposals for the final phase of the scheme, which involves building a leisure centre.· The client is also understood to be working up proposals for the final phase of the project to build a leisure centre.· Now she has joined the Breakthrough fundraising drive to build a research centre in London.· At night, indeed, it became quite chilly and a fire had to be built in the centre of the hall.· Laing built the original centre 10 years ago and is odds-on to carry out the work if the scheme gets the nod.· The builders are not using any nails in the construction, in an effort to build an authentic cultural centre.· The city will purchase the property if not already owned by the city, and build a community centre.· But by that time a grand station had already been built in the centre of Alexandria.
· Control of the money supply should occupy centre stage in the conduct of macroeconomic policy.· The prime mover of all generation is said to be the goddess Necessity, who occupies the centre of the universe.· Art occupies the centre from which nature is now absent.· They appear to occupy the centre of the stage, but in what guise?· The most important other piece is an upper torso of Athena, who occupied the centre of the gable.· It didn't occupy the centre of the room, however.
· Although managers have drawn up a list of personalities who could be invited to open the centre, identities were not revealed.· Liz and Carol decided to open a day-care centre on a 50150 partnership basis.· The Forestry Commission has opened a plant centre selling cuttings from its rare flora.· Meanwhile, the firm has opened a technology engineering centre in Kanagawa Science Park, Tokyo.· Diana opened the first research centre that treated patients.· Last year Intel opened a design centre and started to make a new line of microprocessors in Penang.· And, following the current fashion, Informix has also opened a software development centre in Dublin, Ireland.
· The pair abducted the two-year-old from a Merseyside shopping centre in 1993.· The firm is in negotiations with the client over the proposed Centrale shopping and leisure centre in Tamworth Road.· In one city, contaminated waste was dumped next to a shopping centre.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► centre of population/urban centrePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► centre of population/population centre► right, left, and centre► double-page spread/centre spread► be the centre of somebody’s universe
- As she says herself, this is one lady born to be centre stage.
- But in her latest role it is her clothes, rather than lack of them, which take centre stage.
- By day, the Pirates Club takes centre stage with games, activities and competitions - even the parents join in!
- Charles and Diana were to take centre stage in the drama.
- Meanwhile, Heidi took centre stage at London Fashion Week.
- She was able to take centre stage, providing comic relief while Zephyr shared intimate moments with her special friends.
- There are many others like him, lurking in the background when they should be centre stage.
- The party has moved towards the centre in recent years.
- The party seems to be becoming less radical, and drifting more towards the centre.
- Humiliation was at the centre of Jock Stein's disciplinary philosophy.
- Perhaps more serious was the failure to understand, or accept, bureaucratic mores which were at the centre of the system.
- The Charter will be at the centre of government's decision-making throughout the 1990s.
- The duty officer at the Cabinet Office Briefing Room was at the centre of a web of information technology.
- The inter-relationships between the flows will be at the centre of the proposed research.
- The privatization of up to 40 state-owned companies was at the centre of the governments economic recovery plan.
- The problem of deciding what is relevant and important is at the centre of your task as a note-maker.
- This is at the centre of the Iasiah's concern.
- I loved talking and being the centre of attention, so I was chosen to be spokesperson.
- And the tower is the centre of attention every May morning when the choir sings out across the rooftops.
- Do they want to be the centre of attention?
- I like to be the centre of attention or in the public eye 12.
- Once, when he was the centre of attention at the youth club I saw him do it again.
- She was the centre of attention - like all brides.
- There were more junior officials around them, and Pink was the centre of attention.
- Trust Claire to act as if she were the centre of attention.
- You can be the centre of attention in a conversation but then the focus changes as new participants enter the dialogue.
- As we shall find, this distinction lies at the root of Anselm's movements in his last years as archbishop.
- Basic compassion, not just for the old but for the younger generation too, lies at the heart of this idea.
- That is the issue which lies at the heart of Mr. Thorpe's case.
- That question appears to lie at the heart of the highly publicized battle raging between Hasbro Inc. and Mattel Inc.
- That view lies at the root of a government drive against the racist right.
- The creation of a modernised democracy therefore lies at the heart of all our proposals.
- They overlook the human ability to negate, which lies at the root of thinking.
- We found that two key resource uses and two basic technologies lay at the root of lunar industry.
- As she says herself, this is one lady born to be centre stage.
- By day, the Pirates Club takes centre stage with games, activities and competitions - even the parents join in!
- Control of the money supply should occupy centre stage in the conduct of macroeconomic policy.
- Cram wallflowers into containers now to be moved to centre stage in late spring.
- I think the founding father saw to it that no-one else shared centre stage.
- There is a pretty young girl centre stage and a vengeful older woman in the wings.
- This was Abba's tour de force, a brilliantly structured melodrama which put Faltskog's fragile, emotional vocal centre stage.
- A slightly larger percentage of pairs of brooches were more abraded on the top right than the top left corner.
- Here we want the Series in a column so check Columns in the box at the top left.
- The completed board is shown top left.
- The dark area in the top right is deep, clear water.
- The file was a standard office file with a Prior, Keen, Baldwin label stuck in the top right corner.
- The majority of single brooches examined were found to be more abraded on the top left corner than the top right.
- The plane again runs roughly from top left to bottom right.
- Using a tapestry needle threaded with the embroidery colour, begin at the top right of the motif.
- The walk-in centre is the result of two years' struggle by an international group of scientists to realise an ideal.
WORD FAMILYnouncentre/centercentralization ≠ decentralizationcentralismcentristadjectivecentralcentralized ≠ decentralizedcentred/centeredcentristverbcentre/centercentralize ≠ decentralizeadverbcentrally
1middle [countable usually singular] the middle of a space, area, or object, especially the exact middlein the centre (of something) There was an enormous oak table in the center of the room. The hotel is right in the centre of the village.centre of Draw a line through the centre of the circle. lines radiating out from the centre chocolates with soft centres2building [countable] a building which is used for a particular purpose or activitycentre for the European Centre for Nuclear Research an exhibition at the Community Arts Centre a conference centre3place of activity [countable] a place where there is a lot of a particular type of business, activity etcbusiness/commercial/financial etc centre a major banking centre It’s not exactly a cultural center like Paris.centre of/for The city became a centre for the paper industry. a center of academic excellence (=a very good place for education)4of a town [countable] British English the part of a town or city where most of the shops, restaurants, cinemas, theatres etc are SYN downtown American Englishtown/city centre shops in the town centre the main route into Leeds city centre5involvement be at the centre of something if a person or thing is at the centre of something that is happening, they are involved in it more than other people or things: He always seems to be at the centre of things.be at the centre of a row/dispute/controversy etc the businessman at the centre of the row over political donations6 be the centre of attention to be the person that everyone is giving attention to: Betty just loves being the centre of attention.7be/take centre stage if something or someone is centre stage, they have an important position and get a lot of attention: After his father’s death, he was able to rise to power and take centre stage.8politics the centre a moderate (=middle) position in politics in which you do not support extreme ideas: The party’s new policies show a swing towards the centre.left/right of centre Her political views are slightly left of centre.centre-right/centre-left a centre-left government9sport [countable] a player in sports such as American football and basketball who plays in or near the middle of the field or playing area: the Sonics’ six-foot-four-inch centercentre forward/half/back etc (=players in different parts of the middle section of the playing area)10centre of population/urban centre an area where a large number of people live: Nuclear installations are built well away from the main centres of population.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2types of centrea shopping centre· They are building a huge new shopping centre just outside the town.an information centre· For further details contact the Tourist Information Centre.a visitor centre· The forest has a visitor centre with information and refreshment facilities.a leisure centre British English (=for sport and other leisure activities)· There's a leisure centre with a swimming pool, a sauna, and a gymnasium.a sports centre· You could join exercise classes at your local sports centre.a garden centre British English (=where you can buy plants, trees etc)· The garden centre stocks a wide variety of houseplants.an arts centre (=for art, music, theatre, film etc)· Shall we go to the concert at the arts centre on Saturday?an exhibition centre· The exhibition centre has an interesting display of contemporary art.a research centre· the new research centre at King's College Hospitala conference centre· Westgate Hotel has sixty bedrooms and a conference centre.a training centre· He was a new recruit at the police training centre.a health/medical centre (=where there are several doctors you can see for medical treatment)· The village has a small school and a health centre.a day centre British English (=where old, sick etc people can go during the day to be looked after)· A new day centre for the over 70s has recently opened.a community centre (=where people living in an area can go for social events, classes etc)· The church has been converted into a community centre.an education centre· Many elderly people come to the education centre to learn to use computers.a job centre (=a place in Britain where jobs are advertised)· I got the job through an advertisement at the job centre.a youth centre (=where young people can go to meet and take part in activities)· The money will be used to provide a youth centre.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3types of centrea financial centre· Boston is a leading financial centre.a business centre· The company has branches worldwide in fifteen major business centres.a commercial centre· Our city is the biggest commercial centre in the country.a cultural centre· Paris was then the cultural centre of Europe.a tourist centre· Our destination was Queenstown, a tourist centre set amid mountains and lakes.a trading centre· The town was a trading centre for the Romans.a major centre for/of something· The region has been named as a major centre of international terrorism.a world centre for/of something· The Asian Pacific Rim is a major world centre of commerce, industry, and economic activity.an international centre for/of something· Zurich is an international centre of finance.a national centre for/of something· The gardens are a national centre for botanical research.centre1 nouncentre2 verb
centrecentre2 British English, center American English ●●○ verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
centre (BrE)
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | centre (BrE) |
| he, she, it | centres (BrE) | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | centred (BrE) |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have centred (BrE) |
| he, she, it | has centred (BrE) | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had centred (BrE) |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will centre |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have centred (BrE) |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am centring (BrE) |
| he, she, it | is centring (BrE) | |
| you, we, they | are centring (BrE) | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was centring (BrE) |
| you, we, they | were centring (BrE) | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been centring (BrE) |
| he, she, it | has been centring (BrE) | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been centring (BrE) |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be centring (BrE) |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been centring (BrE) |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Control has often centred on powerful organochlorine pesticides, which kill the locusts but can then damage the environment.
- Discussion centred on the replenishment of the Bank's capital resources.
- Everything centred around St Leonard's.
- It centres on the collection of pus in areas of muscle.
- Work was centred upon the tabulation of entities.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES subsidized day care facilities
· They offer a 24-hour advice service to customers.
British English, the city center American English· The hotel is in the city centre.
British English, community center American English (=where people can go for social events, classes etc)· A community centre is the ideal place for local residents to get together to discuss crime prevention.
(=a building or group of buildings used for conferences)
· The idea became the centre of a bitter controversy.
(=a prison)
British English, a craft center American English (=building where you can see different crafts and buy things)
subsidized day care facilities British English, an exhibition center American English (=a large building for holding exhibitions)· The exhibition will be held in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
British English, a garden center American English (=a shop selling plants and things for the garden)· I bought the plants at the garden centre.
(=opinions that are not extreme that most people would agree with) Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion).
Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground. Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone). Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion). (=a place where you can play sports etc)· The local leisure centre has a swimming pool and a sauna.
· They're only a five minute stroll away from the main resort centre with all its bars, restaurants and nightlife.
British English, be at the center of a scandal American English· The banker at the centre of the scandal has disappeared.
British English, be at the center of a storm American English (=be the person or thing that is causing strong protest, criticism etc)· He has been at the centre of a storm surrounding donations to the party.
· Egypt became a popular tourist destination in the nineteenth century.
British English, the center of town/the town center American English· The hotel was right in the center of town.
British English, a weather bureau American English (=a place where information about the weather is collected and where reports are produced)· The London Weather Centre has issued a warning that there could be extremely heavy rain and high winds over the next 24 hours.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· He centred his attention on the sovereignty of Parliament, the conventions of the constitution, and the rule of law.
· The discussion centred around the flexibility clause which is unlikely to be removed.· Most of the discussions above have centred upon specific factors particular to Britain.· A great deal of scholarly discussion has centred on the linguistic status of the word.· Following the 1908 Act discussion centred on whether thrift could be encouraged in any way that would not be inherently counter-productive.· The main discussion and disagreements have centred around the appropriate policy for dealing with mergers.
· The endless debate that centred on the issue at the time was sometimes naive, or ambiguous, or even dangerous.· The most contentious debate had centred on the issue of religious education.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► centre of population/population centre► right, left, and centre► double-page spread/centre spread► be the centre of somebody’s universe
- As we shall find, this distinction lies at the root of Anselm's movements in his last years as archbishop.
- Basic compassion, not just for the old but for the younger generation too, lies at the heart of this idea.
- That is the issue which lies at the heart of Mr. Thorpe's case.
- That question appears to lie at the heart of the highly publicized battle raging between Hasbro Inc. and Mattel Inc.
- That view lies at the root of a government drive against the racist right.
- The creation of a modernised democracy therefore lies at the heart of all our proposals.
- They overlook the human ability to negate, which lies at the root of thinking.
- We found that two key resource uses and two basic technologies lay at the root of lunar industry.
- As she says herself, this is one lady born to be centre stage.
- By day, the Pirates Club takes centre stage with games, activities and competitions - even the parents join in!
- Control of the money supply should occupy centre stage in the conduct of macroeconomic policy.
- Cram wallflowers into containers now to be moved to centre stage in late spring.
- I think the founding father saw to it that no-one else shared centre stage.
- There is a pretty young girl centre stage and a vengeful older woman in the wings.
- This was Abba's tour de force, a brilliantly structured melodrama which put Faltskog's fragile, emotional vocal centre stage.
- A slightly larger percentage of pairs of brooches were more abraded on the top right than the top left corner.
- Here we want the Series in a column so check Columns in the box at the top left.
- The completed board is shown top left.
- The dark area in the top right is deep, clear water.
- The file was a standard office file with a Prior, Keen, Baldwin label stuck in the top right corner.
- The majority of single brooches examined were found to be more abraded on the top left corner than the top right.
- The plane again runs roughly from top left to bottom right.
- Using a tapestry needle threaded with the embroidery colour, begin at the top right of the motif.
- The walk-in centre is the result of two years' struggle by an international group of scientists to realise an ideal.
WORD FAMILYnouncentre/centercentralization ≠ decentralizationcentralismcentristadjectivecentralcentralized ≠ decentralizedcentred/centeredcentristverbcentre/centercentralize ≠ decentralizeadverbcentrally
to move something to a position at the centre of something else: The title isn’t quite centred on the page, is it?centre around/round something (also be centred around/round something British English) phrasal verb if your thoughts, activities etc centre around something or are centred around it, it is the main thing that you are concerned with or interested in: In the 16th century, village life centred around religion.centre on/upon something (also be centred on/upon something) phrasal verb if your attention centres on something or someone, or is centred on them, you pay more attention to them than anything else: The debate centred on funding for health services. Much of their work is centred on local development projects.