center in WordNet English dictionary

1. a position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the jump that starts the game
   center 
   
2. (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"
   center 
   
3. the position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
   center 
   
4. a building dedicated to a particular activity
   "they were raising money to build a new center for research"
   center  centre 
   
5. 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"
   plaza  mall  center  shopping mall  shopping center  shopping centre 
   
6. the piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher
   "he hit the ball to deep center"
   center field  centerfield  center 
   
7. a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process
   "in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere"
   center  centre  nerve center  nerve centre 
   
8. 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"
   kernel  substance  core  center  centre  essence  gist  heart  heart and soul  inwardness  marrow  meat  nub  pith  sum  nitty-gritty 
   
9. the object upon which interest and attention focuses
   "his stories made him the center of the party"
   center  centre  center of attention  centre of attention 
   
10. the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
    center  centre 
    
11. politically moderate persons; centrists
    center 
    
12. the middle of a military or naval formation
    "they had to reinforce the center"
    center 
    
13. a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
    center  centre  midpoint 
    
14. 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"
    center  centre  middle  heart  eye 
    
15. a place where some particular activity is concentrated
    "they received messages from several centers"
    center  centre 
    
16. (football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback
    "the center fumbled the handoff"
    center  snapper 
    
17. (basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team
    center 
    
18. (ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
    center 
    

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

1. of or belonging to neither the right nor the left politically or intellectually
   center 
   
2. equally distant from the extremes
   center  halfway  middle  midway