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14 dictionary results for: Center
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
cen·ter       [sen-ter] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.Geometry. the middle point, as the point within a circle or sphere equally distant from all points of the circumference or surface, or the point within a regular polygon equally distant from the vertices.
2.a point, pivot, axis, etc., around which anything rotates or revolves: The sun is the center of the solar system.
3.the source of an influence, action, force, etc.: the center of a problem.
4.a point, place, person, etc., upon which interest, emotion, etc., focuses: His family is the center of his life.
5.a principal point, place, or object: a shipping center.
6.a building or part of a building used as a meeting place for a particular group or having facilities for certain activities: a youth center; The company has a complete recreation center in the basement.
7.an office or other facility providing a specific service or dealing with a particular emergency: a flood-relief center; a crisis center.
8.a person, thing, group, etc., occupying the middle position, esp. a body of troops.
9.the core or middle of anything: chocolate candies with fruit centers.
10.a store or establishment devoted to a particular subject or hobby, carrying supplies, materials, tools, and books as well as offering guidance and advice: a garden center; a nutrition center.
11.shopping center.
12.(usually initial capital letter) Government.
a.the part of a legislative assembly, esp. in continental Europe, that sits in the center of the chamber, a position customarily assigned to members of the legislature who hold political views intermediate between those of the Right and Left.
b.the members of such an assembly who sit in the Center.
c.the political position of persons who hold moderate views.
d.politically moderate persons, taken collectively; Centrists; middle-of-the-roaders: Unfortunately, his homeland has always lacked a responsible Center.
13.Football.
a.a lineman who occupies a position in the middle of the line and who puts the ball into play by tossing it between his legs to a back.
b.the position played by this lineman.
14.Basketball.
a.a player who participates in a center jump.
b.the position of the player in the center of the court, where the center jump takes place at the beginning of play.
15.Ice Hockey. a player who participates in a face-off at the beginning of play.
16.Baseball. center field.
17.Physiology. a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific organic process: the vasomotor center.
18.Mathematics.
a.the mean position of a figure or system.
b.the set of elements of a group that commute with every element of the group.
19.Machinery.
a.a tapered rod, mounted in the headstock spindle (live center) or the tailstock spindle (dead center) of a lathe, upon which the work to be turned is placed.
b.one of two similar points on some other machine, as a planing machine, enabling an object to be turned on its axis.
c.a tapered indentation, in a piece to be turned on a lathe, into which a center is fitted.
–verb (used with object)
20.to place in or on a center: She centered the clock on the mantelpiece.
21.to collect to or around a center; focus: He centered his novel on the Civil War.
22.to determine or mark the center of: A small brass star centered the tabletop.
23.to adjust, shape, or modify (an object, part, etc.) so that its axis or the like is in a central or normal position: to center the lens of a telescope; to center the work on a lathe.
24.to place (an object, part, etc.) so as to be equidistant from all bordering or adjacent areas.
25.Football. snap (def. 20).
26.to pass (a basketball, hockey puck, etc.) from any place along the periphery toward the middle of the playing area.
–verb (used without object)
27.to be at or come to a center.
28.to come to a focus; converge; concentrate (fol. by at, about, around, in, or on): The interest of the book centers specifically on the character of the eccentric hero. Political power in the town centers in the position of mayor.
29.to gather or accumulate in a cluster; collect (fol. by at, about, around, in, or on): Shops and municipal buildings center around the city square.
—Idiom
30.on center, from the centerline or midpoint of a structural member, an area of a plan, etc., to that of a similar member, area, etc.: The studs are set 30 inches on center. Abbreviation: o.c.
Also, especially British, centre.

[Origin: 1325–75; var. of ME centre < L centrum < Gk kéntron needle, spur, pivoting point in drawing a circle, deriv. of kenteǐn to sting]

—Related forms
cen·ter·a·ble, adjective
cen·ter·less, adjective

—Synonyms 1. See middle.
—Antonyms 1. edge.
—Usage note 28. Although sometimes condemned for alleged illogicality, the phrases center about and center around have appeared in edited writing for more than a century to express the sense of gathering or collecting as if around a center: The objections center around the question of fiscal responsibility.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
cen·ter       (sěn'tər)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. A point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle: the center of a stage.
    1. A point equidistant from the vertices of a regular polygon.
    2. A point equidistant from all points on the circumference of a circle or on the surface of a sphere.
    3. A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated: a medical center.
    4. A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions: a center of power; a center of unrest.
    5. An area of dense population: a metropolitan center.
    6. A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.
    7. A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
  3. A point around which something rotates or revolves: The sun is the center of our solar system.
  4. A part of an object that is surrounded by the rest; a core: chocolates with soft centers.
    1. A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated: a medical center.
    2. A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions: a center of power; a center of unrest.
    3. An area of dense population: a metropolitan center.
    4. A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.
    5. A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
  6. A person or thing that is the chief object of attention, interest, activity, or emotion.
  7. A person, object, or group occupying a middle position.
  8. often Center A political group or a set of policies representing a moderate view between those of the right and the left.
  9. Physiology A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function: the vasomotor center.
  10. Sports A player who holds a middle position on the field, court, or forward line in some team sports, such as football and basketball.
  11. Baseball Center field.
    1. A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.
    2. A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
  13. Architecture A centering.

v.   cen·tered, cen·ter·ing, cen·ters

v.   tr.
  1. To place in or at the center: centered the vase on the table.
  2. To direct toward a center or central point; concentrate or focus: tried to center the discussion on the main issues.
  3. Sports
    1. To pass (a ball or puck) toward the center of a playing area.
    2. To play as a center on (a line), as in ice hockey.
  4. Football To pass (the ball) back between the legs to begin a down.

v.   intr.
  1. To be concentrated; cluster: The epidemic centered in the urban areas.
  2. To have a central theme or concern; be focused: Her novels center on the problems of adolescence.
  3. Sports To play as a center.


[Middle English centre, from Old French, from Latin centrum, from Greek kentron, center of a circle, from kentein, to prick; see kent- in Indo-European roots.]

Synonyms: These nouns refer to a region, person, or thing around which some activity is concentrated: a great cultural center; the focus of research efforts; the headquarters of a multinational corporation; a town that is the heart of the colony; the hub of a steel empire; the seat of government.

Usage Note: Traditionally, the verb center may be freely used with the prepositions on, upon, in, or at; but some language critics have denounced its use with around as illogical or physically impossible. But the fact that writers persist in using this phrase in sentences such as The discussion centered around the need for curriculum reform, a sentence that 71 percent of the Usage Panel accepts, suggests that many people perceive center around to best represent the true nature of what they are trying to say. Indeed, in an example like A storm of controversy centered around the king, the only appropriate choice seems to be around. Still, if one wishes to avoid the phrase center around, the phrase revolve around is available as an option. Since center can represent various relations involving having, finding, or turning about a center, the choice of a preposition depends on what is intended. There is ample evidence for usages with each preposition listed above. The Panel accepts all of these uses except the one with at. Seventy-seven percent reject the sentence The company has been centered at Atlanta for the last five years. See Usage Note at equal.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
center 
c.1374, from O.Fr. centre, from L. centrum "center," orig. fixed point of the two points of a compass, from Gk. kentron "sharp point, goad," from kentein "stitch," from PIE base *kent- "to prick" (cf. Breton kentr "a spur," O.H.G. hantag "sharp, pointed"). The verb is from 1622. Spelling with -re popularized in Britain by Johnson's dictionary, though -er is older. Centrist is 1872, from Fr. politics. Central as U.S. colloquial for "central telephone exchange" is first recorded 1889.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
center

adjective
1. equally distant from the extremes 
2. of or belonging to neither the right nor the left politically or intellectually [ant: right, left] 

noun
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" 
2. the piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher; "he hit the ball to deep center" [syn: center field] 
3. a building dedicated to a particular activity; "they were raising money to build a new center for research" 
4. a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure 
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] 
6. the object upon which interest and attention focuses; "his stories made him the center of the party" 
7. a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process; "in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere" 
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" 
11. a place where some particular activity is concentrated; "they received messages from several centers" 
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 
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] 
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 

verb
1. center upon; "Her entire attention centered on her children"; "Our day revolved around our work" [syn: focus on] 
2. direct one's attention on something; "Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies" [syn: concentrate] 
3. move into the center; "That vase in the picture is not centered" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

center

In addition to the idiom beginning with center, also see front and center.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

center cen·ter (sěn'tər)
n.

  1. A point or place in the body that is equally distant from its sides or outer boundaries; the middle.
  2. A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: cen·ter
Variant: or chiefly British cen·tre /'sent-&r/
Function: noun
: a group of nerve cells having acommon function center> called also nerve center

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Center Point, AL (CDP, FIPS 13264) Location: 33.64313 N, 86.67876 W
Population (1990): 22658 (9081 housing units)
Area: 22.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 35215, 35235

Center Valley, WI Zip code(s): 54106

Center Harbor, NH Zip code(s): 03226

Center Moriches, NY (CDP, FIPS 13420) Location: 40.79915 N, 72.79680 W
Population (1990): 5987 (2316 housing units)
Area: 13.0 sq km (land), 1.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 11934

Center Line, MI (city, FIPS 14320) Location: 42.48115 N, 83.02520 W
Population (1990): 9026 (3986 housing units)
Area: 4.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 48015

Center Lovell, ME Zip code(s): 04016

Center Moreland, PA Zip code(s): 18657

Center Ossipee, NH Zip code(s): 03814

Center Point, IA (city, FIPS 12270) Location: 42.18497 N, 91.77672 W
Population (1990): 1693 (650 housing units)
Area: 5.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 52213

Center Point, LA Zip code(s): 71323

Center Point, WV Zip code(s): 26339

Center Ridge, AR Zip code(s): 72027

Center Rutland, VT Zip code(s): 05736

Center Sandwich, NH Zip code(s): 03227

Center Tuftonbor, NH Zip code(s): 03816

Center Valley, PA Zip code(s): 18034

Center Cross, VA Zip code(s): 22437

Center Conway, NH Zip code(s): 03813

Center Barnstead, NH Zip code(s): 03225

Center Hill, FL (city, FIPS 11325) Location: 28.64745 N, 81.99811 W
Population (1990): 735 (309 housing units)
Area: 4.4 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 33514

Center Strafford, NH Zip code(s): 03815

Center Junction, IA (city, FIPS 12225) Location: 42.11437 N, 91.08934 W
Population (1990): 166 (70 housing units)
Area: 1.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 52212

Center City, MN (city, FIPS 10576) Location: 45.39086 N, 92.81813 W
Population (1990): 451 (159 housing units)
Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Center Point, IN (town, FIPS 11746) Location: 39.41479 N, 87.07454 W
Population (1990): 278 (117 housing units)
Area: 1.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Center, MO (city, FIPS 12592) Location: 39.50985 N, 91.52851 W
Population (1990): 552 (272 housing units)
Area: 1.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 63436

Center, NE (village, FIPS 8360) Location: 42.60891 N, 97.87588 W
Population (1990): 112 (55 housing units)
Area: 0.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 68724

Center, CO (town, FIPS 12855) Location: 37.75183 N, 106.10990 W
Population (1990): 1963 (770 housing units)
Area: 2.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 81125

Center, TX (city, FIPS 13732) Location: 31.79353 N, 94.17827 W
Population (1990): 4950 (2161 housing units)
Area: 16.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 75935

Center, KY Zip code(s): 42214

Center, ND (city, FIPS 13180) Location: 47.11495 N, 101.29692 W
Population (1990): 826 (351 housing units)
Area: 0.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

White Center-Shorewood, WA (CDP, FIPS 78242) Location: 47.50200 N, 122.34977 W
Population (1990): 20531 (8218 housing units)
Area: 10.1 sq km (land), 0.4 sq km (water)

Newton Center, MA Zip code(s): 02159

Newport Center, VT Zip code(s): 05857

Mountain Center, CA Zip code(s): 92561

Mansfield Center, CT Zip code(s): 06250

Marion Center, PA (borough, FIPS 47472) Location: 40.77023 N, 79.04799 W
Population (1990): 476 (198 housing units)
Area: 1.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 15759

Monroe Center, IL Zip code(s): 61052

Mark Center, OH Zip code(s): 43536

Milford Center, OH (village, FIPS 50218) Location: 40.17911 N, 83.43708 W
Population (1990): 651 (252 housing units)
Area: 0.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 43045

Michigan Center, MI (CDP, FIPS 53580) Location: 42.22686 N, 84.32254 W
Population (1990): 4863 (1976 housing units)
Area: 13.4 sq km (land), 1.2 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 49254

Moriah Center, NY Zip code(s): 12961

Lynn Center, IL Zip code(s): 61262

Jackson Center, PA (borough, FIPS 37496) Location: 41.27321 N, 80.13883 W
Population (1990): 244 (102 housing units)
Area: 3.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 16133

Java Center, NY Zip code(s): 14082

Jericho Center, VT Zip code(s): 05465

La Center, WA (town, FIPS 36710) Location: 45.86416 N, 122.66647 W
Population (1990): 451 (168 housing units)
Area: 1.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 98629

Le Center, MN (city, FIPS 36134) Location: 44.38758 N, 93.73295 W
Population (1990): 2006 (789 housing units)
Area: 3.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 56057

Lee Center, NY Zip code(s): 13363

Liberty Center, IA Zip code(s): 50145

Liberty Center, IN Zip code(s): 46766

Liberty Center, OH (village, FIPS 43414) Location: 41.44344 N, 84.00811 W
Population (1990): 1084 (421 housing units)
Area: 2.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 43532

Lincoln Center, ME Zip code(s): 04458

Lyndon Center, VT Zip code(s): 05850

La Center, KY (city, FIPS 43336) Location: 37.07482 N, 88.97410 W
Population (1990): 1040 (466 housing units)
Area: 1.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 42056

Jackson Center, OH (village, FIPS 38220) Location: 40.43914 N, 84.03947 W
Population (1990): 1398 (532 housing units)
Area: 2.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 45334

Oil Center, NM Zip code(s): 88266

Parkway Center, PA Zip code(s): 15220

State Center, IA (city, FIPS 75135) Location: 42.01530 N, 93.16539 W
Population (1990): 1248 (547 housing units)
Area: 2.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 50247

Thetford Center, VT Zip code(s): 05075

Trinity Center, CA Zip code(s): 96091

Valley Center, KS (city, FIPS 73250) Location: 37.83520 N, 97.37347 W
Population (1990): 3624 (1340 housing units)
Area: 4.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 67147

Venice Center, NY Zip code(s): 13147

Vernon Center, MN (city, FIPS 66910) Location: 43.96340 N, 94.16669 W
Population (1990): 339 (136 housing units)
Area: 1.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 56090

Vernon Center, NY Zip code(s): 13477

Wallpack Center, NJ Zip code(s): 07881

Warren Center, PA Zip code(s): 18851

Waterbury Center, VT Zip code(s): 05677

Smith Center, KS (city, FIPS 65925) Location: 39.77972 N, 98.78314 W
Population (1990): 2016 (1055 housing units)
Area: 3.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 66967

Valley Center, CA (CDP, FIPS 81736) Location: 33.21740 N, 117.01099 W
Population (1990): 1711 (686 housing units)
Area: 22.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 92082

Platte Center, NE (village, FIPS 39310) Location: 41.53797 N, 97.48717 W
Population (1990): 387 (154 housing units)
Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 68653

Pomfret Center, CT Zip code(s): 06259

Randolph Center, VT Zip code(s): 05061

Royal Center, IN (town, FIPS 66222) Location: 40.86462 N, 86.50051 W
Population (1990): 859 (367 housing units)
Area: 1.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 46978

Rumford Center, ME Zip code(s): 04278

Rush Center, KS (city, FIPS 61775) Location: 38.46487 N, 99.31052 W
Population (1990): 177 (97 housing units)
Area: 1.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 67575

Salisbury Center, NY Zip code(s): 13454

Shirley Center, MA Zip code(s): 01464

Sidney Center, NY Zip code(s): 13839

Sioux Center, IA (city, FIPS 73290) Location: 43.07656 N, 96.17148 W
Population (1990): 5074 (1620 housing units)
Area: 13.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 51250

Yates Center, KS (city, FIPS 80700) Location: 37.87237 N, 95.74277 W
Population (1990): 1815 (956 housing units)
Area: 5.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 66783

Clarence Center, NY (CDP, FIPS 15836) Location: 43.00870 N, 78.63178 W
Population (1990): 1376 (492 housing units)
Area: 5.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 14032

Davenport Center, NY Zip code(s): 13751

Clay Center, NE (city, FIPS 9375) Location: 40.52332 N, 98.05474 W
Population (1990): 825 (390 housing units)
Area: 1.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 68933

Dickinson Center, NY Zip code(s): 12930

Bovina Center, NY Zip code(s): 13740

Dodge Center, MN (city, FIPS 15994) Location: 44.02860 N, 92.84904 W
Population (1990): 1954 (763 housing units)
Area: 4.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 55927

Berrien Center, MI Zip code(s): 49102

Duke Center, PA Zip code(s): 16729

Dunn Center, ND (city, FIPS 20940) Location: 47.35330 N, 102.62376 W
Population (1990): 128 (80 housing units)
Area: 1.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 58626

Darien Center, NY Zip code(s): 14040

Dallas Center, IA (city, FIPS 18255) Location: 41.68467 N, 93.98412 W
Population (1990): 1454 (562 housing units)
Area: 10.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 50063

Civic Center, CA Zip code(s): 94903

Coal Center, PA (borough, FIPS 14568) Location: 40.06986 N, 79.90125 W
Population (1990): 184 (97 housing units)
Area: 0.3 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 15423

Clay Center, KS (city, FIPS 13625) Location: 39.37992 N, 97.12287 W
Population (1990): 4613 (2213 housing units)
Area: 6.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 67432

Cochecton Center, NY Zip code(s): 12727

Copper Center, AK (CDP, FIPS 17300) Location: 61.98076 N, 145.35113 W
Population (1990): 449 (244 housing units)
Area: 55.2 sq km (land), 1.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 99573

Canton Center, CT Zip code(s): 06020

Byron Center, MI Zip code(s): 49315

Buffalo Center, IA (city, FIPS 9280) Location: 43.38979 N, 93.94307 W
Population (1990): 1081 (507 housing units)
Area: 2.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 50424

Ellenburg Center, NY Zip code(s): 12934

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Center

Cen"ter\, n. [F. centre, fr. L. centrum, fr. round which a circle is described, fr. ? 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.

2. The middle or central portion of anything.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Center of an army, the body or troops occupying the place in the line between the wings.

Center of a curve or 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 co["o]rdinates. See Co["o]rdinates.

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Center

Cen"ter\, Centre \Cen"tre\ v. i. [imp. & p. p. Centered or Centred; p. pr. & vb. n. Centering or Centring.]

1. To be placed in a center; to be central.

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

Where there is no visible truth wherein to center, error is as wide as men's fancies. --Dr. H. More.

Our hopes must center in ourselves alone. --Dryden.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Center

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

2. To collect to a point; to concentrate.

Thy joys are centered all in me alone. --Prior.

3. (Mech.) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Center

Cen"ter*ing\, n. (Arch.) Same as Center, n., 6. [Written also centring.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Center

Cen"tral\, a. [L. centralis, fr. centrum: cf. F. central. See Center.] Relating to the center; situated in or near the center or middle; containing the center; of or pertaining to the parts near the center

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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CENTER

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