n.
- an area that is approximately central within some larger region; centre, middle, heart, eye
it is in the center of town
they ran forward into the heart of the struggle
they were in the eye of the storm
- the piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher; center field, centerfield
he hit the ball to deep center
- a building dedicated to a particular activity; centre
they were raising money to build a new center for research
- a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure; centre, midpoint
- the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; kernel, substance, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty
the gist of the prosecutor's argument
the heart and soul of the Republican Party
the nub of the story
- the object upon which interest and attention focuses; center of attention
his stories made him the center of the party
- a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process; centre, nerve center, nerve centre
in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere
- the middle of a military or naval formation
they had to reinforce the center
- (basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team
- (football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback; snapper
the center fumbled the handoff
- a place where some particular activity is concentrated; centre
they received messages from several centers
- politically moderate persons; centrists
- (ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
- the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering; centre
- 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; plaza, mall, shopping mall, shopping center, shopping centre
a good plaza should have a movie house
they spent their weekends at the local malls
- the position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
- 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
- a position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the jump that starts the game
