Center

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. The exact middle point of an object or area ; a location where particular activities or services are focused or provided ; to arrange or place something at the middle
2. A point equally distant from the edges of a shape or space ; an establishment dedicated to a specific purpose or function ; to position something centrally within a space
3. The central part or core of a thing ; a facility or institution where certain operations occur ; to put or set something into the middle of a region or group

Etymology: The Greek word "kéntron" originally meant a sharp point, such as a goad or the pointed end of a stick used to prick animals forward. It came from the verb "kenteîn," "to prick or goad," so the word's first sense was a pointed instrument, not a middle. The idea of a midpoint arrived later, as the sharp point of a compass was the fixed place around which a circle was drawn, and the spot that anchored a circle came to be understood as its centre. The word passed through Latin as "centrum," then into Middle French as "centre," and reached Middle English as "center" or "centre." English has kept both spellings, which is a useful reminder that the pair came in through different routes rather than one being an error of the other. The letter Z in the group-theory notation Z(G) is a nod to the German "Zentrum," meaning "center," a different language's word reaching into modern mathematics.

Synonyms: middle, core, hub, focal point

Antonyms: periphery, edge