"centre" meaning in English

See centre in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/ [UK], /ˈsɛn.tɚ/ [US], [ˈsɛ.ɾ̃ɚ] [US], [ˈsɪɾ̃ɚ] [pin-pen-merger] Audio: en-us-center.ogg [US] Forms: centres [plural]
Rhymes: -ɛntə(ɹ) Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”). Etymology templates: {{bor|en|frm|centre}} Middle French centre, {{der|en|la|centrum}} Latin centrum, {{der|en|grc|κέντρον|}} Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), {{m|grc|κεντεῖν||to prick, goad}} κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} centre (plural centres)
  1. (British spelling, Canadian spelling, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand) Alternative spelling of center. Tags: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New-Zealand, South-Africa, UK, alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: center Translations (A position in Rugby football in the back line): topapū (Maori)
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: center [US]

Verb

IPA: /ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/ [UK], /ˈsɛn.tɚ/ [US], [ˈsɛ.ɾ̃ɚ] [US], [ˈsɪɾ̃ɚ] [pin-pen-merger] Audio: en-us-center.ogg [US] Forms: centres [present, singular, third-person], centring [participle, present], centreing [participle, present], centred [participle, past], centred [past]
Rhymes: -ɛntə(ɹ) Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”). Etymology templates: {{bor|en|frm|centre}} Middle French centre, {{der|en|la|centrum}} Latin centrum, {{der|en|grc|κέντρον|}} Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), {{m|grc|κεντεῖν||to prick, goad}} κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”) Head templates: {{en-verb|pres_ptc2=centreing}} centre (third-person singular simple present centres, present participle centring or centreing, simple past and past participle centred)
  1. (British spelling, Canadian spelling, Irish, South African, Australian and New Zealand) Alternative spelling of center Tags: Australian, Canada, Irish, New-Zealand, South-African, UK, alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: center
    Sense id: en-centre-en-verb-uV5aTqMa
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: center [US]

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for centre meaning in English (6.3kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "centre"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French centre",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "centrum"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin centrum",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "κέντρον",
        "4": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κεντεῖν",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to prick, goad"
      },
      "expansion": "κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "centres",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "centre (plural centres)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "cen‧tre"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "center"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Australian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Irish English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "New Zealand English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "South African English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "Catapult centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "centreboard"
        },
        {
          "word": "Centre County"
        },
        {
          "word": "centredness"
        },
        {
          "word": "centrefold"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre forward"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of attention"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of buoyancy"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of curvature"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of effort"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of gravity"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of inertia"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of lift"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre of mass"
        },
        {
          "word": "centrepiece"
        },
        {
          "word": "centre stage"
        },
        {
          "word": "Centreville"
        },
        {
          "word": "civic centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "daycare centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "day centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "friendship centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "garden centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "Middlesex Centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "multi-centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "Nickel Centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "reception centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "Rockville Centre"
        },
        {
          "word": "Thames Centre"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "(middle portion)",
          "text": "1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 343:\nSo after a short spell in the brass foundry the wisest course was to follow with a similar period in the steel foundry, where much important work was done, including the manufacture of centres for wheels.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of center."
      ],
      "id": "en-centre-en-noun-l-mSulhk",
      "links": [
        [
          "center",
          "center#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British spelling, Canadian spelling, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand) Alternative spelling of center."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "Canada",
        "Ireland",
        "New-Zealand",
        "South-Africa",
        "UK",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "A position in Rugby football in the back line",
          "word": "topapū"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɛ.ɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɪɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "sinner (pin-pen merger)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "center"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-center.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/74/En-us-center.ogg/En-us-center.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/En-us-center.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "center"
    }
  ],
  "word": "centre"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "centre"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French centre",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "centrum"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin centrum",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "κέντρον",
        "4": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κεντεῖν",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to prick, goad"
      },
      "expansion": "κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "centres",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centring",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centreing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centred",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centred",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "pres_ptc2": "centreing"
      },
      "expansion": "centre (third-person singular simple present centres, present participle centring or centreing, simple past and past participle centred)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "cen‧tre"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "center"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1962 February, “Talking of Trains: The \"Midland Pullman\"”, in Modern Railways, page 77",
          "text": "One controversy which has not had an airing in discussion of the new Transport Bill is that centring on the status of the Pullman Car Co.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of center"
      ],
      "id": "en-centre-en-verb-uV5aTqMa",
      "links": [
        [
          "center",
          "center#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British spelling, Canadian spelling, Irish, South African, Australian and New Zealand) Alternative spelling of center"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australian",
        "Canada",
        "Irish",
        "New-Zealand",
        "South-African",
        "UK",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɛ.ɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɪɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "sinner (pin-pen merger)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "center"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-center.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/74/En-us-center.ogg/En-us-center.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/En-us-center.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "center"
    }
  ],
  "word": "centre"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Middle French",
    "English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle French",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntə(ɹ)",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntə(ɹ)/2 syllables"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "Catapult centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "centreboard"
    },
    {
      "word": "Centre County"
    },
    {
      "word": "centredness"
    },
    {
      "word": "centrefold"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre forward"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of attention"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of buoyancy"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of curvature"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of effort"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of gravity"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of inertia"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of lift"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre of mass"
    },
    {
      "word": "centrepiece"
    },
    {
      "word": "centre stage"
    },
    {
      "word": "Centreville"
    },
    {
      "word": "civic centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "daycare centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "day centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "friendship centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "garden centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "Middlesex Centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "multi-centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "Nickel Centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "reception centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "Rockville Centre"
    },
    {
      "word": "Thames Centre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "centre"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French centre",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "centrum"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin centrum",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "κέντρον",
        "4": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κεντεῖν",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to prick, goad"
      },
      "expansion": "κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "centres",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "centre (plural centres)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "cen‧tre"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "center"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "Australian English",
        "British English forms",
        "Canadian English forms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Irish English",
        "New Zealand English",
        "South African English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "(middle portion)",
          "text": "1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 343:\nSo after a short spell in the brass foundry the wisest course was to follow with a similar period in the steel foundry, where much important work was done, including the manufacture of centres for wheels.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of center."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "center",
          "center#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British spelling, Canadian spelling, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand) Alternative spelling of center."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "Canada",
        "Ireland",
        "New-Zealand",
        "South-Africa",
        "UK",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɛ.ɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɪɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "sinner (pin-pen merger)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "center"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-center.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/74/En-us-center.ogg/En-us-center.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/En-us-center.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "center"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "A position in Rugby football in the back line",
      "word": "topapū"
    }
  ],
  "word": "centre"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Middle French",
    "English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle French",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntə(ɹ)",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntə(ɹ)/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "centre"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French centre",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "centrum"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin centrum",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "κέντρον",
        "4": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κεντεῖν",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to prick, goad"
      },
      "expansion": "κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Middle French centre, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron), from κεντεῖν (kenteîn, “to prick, goad”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "centres",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centring",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centreing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centred",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "centred",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "pres_ptc2": "centreing"
      },
      "expansion": "centre (third-person singular simple present centres, present participle centring or centreing, simple past and past participle centred)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "cen‧tre"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "center"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "British English forms",
        "Canadian English forms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1962 February, “Talking of Trains: The \"Midland Pullman\"”, in Modern Railways, page 77",
          "text": "One controversy which has not had an airing in discussion of the new Transport Bill is that centring on the status of the Pullman Car Co.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of center"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "center",
          "center#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British spelling, Canadian spelling, Irish, South African, Australian and New Zealand) Alternative spelling of center"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australian",
        "Canada",
        "Irish",
        "New-Zealand",
        "South-African",
        "UK",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsɛn.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɛ.ɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈsɪɾ̃ɚ]",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "sinner (pin-pen merger)"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "center"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-center.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/74/En-us-center.ogg/En-us-center.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/En-us-center.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "center"
    }
  ],
  "word": "centre"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-22 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (fc4f0c7 and c937495). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.