centre

noun

OPAL WOPAL S

/ˈsentə(r)/

/ˈsentər/

(US English center)

Idioms

jump to other results

middle

enlarge image

[countable] the middle point or part of something

He walked to the centre of the circle.
in the centre of something There was a long table in the centre of the room.
The statue is in the very centre of the temple.
in the centre The brownie should be firm on the outside but soft in the centre.
at the centre of something Aristotle believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe.
(figurative) The executive at the centre of the bribery scandal was convicted last week.
chocolates with soft centres

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

dead
exact
true
…

preposition

at the centre (of)
in the centre (of)

phrases

the centre of the city
the centre of (the) town

See full entry

town/city

[countable] (especially British English)

(North American English usually downtown [usually singular])

the main part of a town or city where there are a lot of shops and offices

in the centre We both work in the city centre.
I got a lift into the centre of town.
a town-centre car park

building

[countable] a building or place used for a particular purpose or activity

a shopping/community/health/fitness centre
The company has recently opened a new training centre.
centre for something the Centre for Policy Studies

see also control centre, cost centre, data centre, drop-in centre, fulfilment centre

Extra Examples

You can send fax or emails from our fully equipped business centre.
They've set up a local centre for people with epilepsy.
The classes are run by the Centre for Languages and Literature.
I had to get a taxi from the hotel to the conference centre.

of excellence

[countable] centre of excellence a place where a particular kind of work is done extremely well

Darlington could become a regional centre of excellence for nursery nurse training.
The university is recognized as an international centre of excellence for training dentists.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

important
leading
main
…

preposition

centre for

phrases

a centre of excellence
a centre of government
a centre of population
…

See full entry

of attention

[countable, usually singular] the point towards which people direct their attention

Children like to be the centre of attention.
at the centre of something The prime minister is at the centre of a political row over leaked Cabinet documents.

Extra Examples

She always liked to feel that she was at the centre of things.
He could never doubt that he was the centre of her world.
The captain was at the centre of the action right through the game.

in politics

(usually the centre)

[singular] a moderate (= middle) political position or party, between the extremes of left-wing and right-wing parties

a party of the centre
Are her views to the left or right of centre?
a centre party

Extra Examples

Politically, she is considered to be slightly left of centre.
a party that occupies the centre ground of British politics

Topics Politicsb2

Oxford Collocations Dictionarycentre/center + noun

party
ground

phrases

left of centre
right of centre

See full entry

in sport

[countable] (in some team sports) a player or position in the middle of the pitch, court, etc.

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin centrum, from Greek kentron ‘sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses’, related to kentein ‘to prick’.

Idioms

front and centre

(US English front and center)

in or into the most important position
- The issue has moved front and center in his presidential campaign.

left, right and centre

(also right, left and centre, right and left)

(informal) in all directions; everywhere
- He's giving away money left, right and centre.

centre

verb

OPAL W

/ˈsentə(r)/

/ˈsentər/

(US English center)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they centre	/ˈsentə(r)/ /ˈsentər/
he / she / it centres	/ˈsentəz/ /ˈsentərz/
past simple centred	/ˈsentəd/ /ˈsentərd/
past participle centred	/ˈsentəd/ /ˈsentərd/
-ing form centring	/ˈsentərɪŋ/ /ˈsentərɪŋ/

jump to other results

[intransitive, transitive] to be the person or thing around which most activity takes place; to make somebody/something the central person or thing
- centre around/round somebody/something State occasions always centred around the king.
- be centred around/round somebody/something Leisure activities were largely centred around the family.
- centre on/upon somebody/something The debate centred on an important practical question.
- be centred on/upon somebody/something Discussions were centred on developments in Eastern Europe.
Extra Examples
- Conversation centered around their wedding plans.
- Roosevelt's foreign policy was centered around these themes.
- The investigations centred on him as the only real suspect in the case.
- The main story is centred on two young men, one a photographer, the other a gang leader.
be centred in…
[intransitive] to take place mainly in or around the place mentioned
- Most of the fighting was centred in the north of the capital.
[transitive] centre something (+ adv./prep.) to move something so that it is in the centre of something else
- This button will centre the image on the page.

Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin centrum, from Greek kentron ‘sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses’, related to kentein ‘to prick’.