{ "term": "centre", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a1", "image": "data/images/ci/circles.png", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "the middle point or part of something", "sensetop": "in the centre of somethingin the centreat the centre of something", "labels": "(figurative)", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "He walked to the centre of the circle." }, { "text": "There was a long table in the centre of the room.", "contextForm": "in the centre of something" }, { "text": "The statue is in the very centre of the temple." }, { "text": "The brownie should be firm on the outside but soft in the centre.", "contextForm": "in the centre" }, { "text": "Aristotle believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe.", "contextForm": "at the centre of something" }, { "text": "The executive at the centre of the bribery scandal was convicted last week." }, { "text": "chocolates with soft centres" } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["dead", "exact", "true"], "preposition": ["at the centre (of)", "in the centre (of)"], "phrases": ["the centre of the city", "the centre of (the) town"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "the main part of a town or city where there are a lot of shops and offices", "labels": "(especially British English)North American English usually", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "I got a lift into the centre of town." }, { "text": "a town-centre car park" }, { "text": "We've bought a flat in the very centre of Cambridge." }, { "text": "I have an apartment in the centre of São Paulo." }, { "text": "a museum in the centre of Birmingham" } ], "topics": ["Shopping", "Buildings"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["dead", "exact", "true"], "preposition": ["at the centre (of)", "in the centre (of)"], "phrases": ["the centre of the city", "the centre of (the) town"] } }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "a place or an area where a lot of people live; a place where a lot of business or cultural activity takes place", "sensetop": "centre of somethingcentre for something", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "major urban/industrial centres" }, { "text": "At that time Winchester was still a major centre of population.", "contextForm": "centre of something" }, { "text": "The university is a leading centre for scientific research.", "contextForm": "centre for something" }, { "text": "Small towns in South India serve as economic and cultural centres for the surrounding villages." }, { "text": "Tokyo is one of the main financial centres of the world." }, { "text": "the economic nerve centre of Germany" } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["important", "leading", "main"], "preposition": ["centre for"], "phrases": [ "a centre of excellence", "a centre of government", "a centre of population" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "a building or place used for a particular purpose or activity", "sensetop": "centre for something", "cefr": "a2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "a **shopping/community/health/fitness centre**" }, { "text": "The company has recently opened a new **training centre**." }, { "text": "the Centre for Policy Studies", "contextForm": "centre for something" }, { "text": "You can use our fully equipped business centre." }, { "text": "They've set up a local centre for people with epilepsy." }, { "text": "The classes are run by the Centre for Languages and Literature." }, { "text": "I had to get a taxi from the hotel to the conference centre." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "a place where a particular kind of work is done extremely well", "sensetop": "centre of excellence", "examples": [ { "text": "Darlington could become a regional centre of excellence for nursery nurse training." }, { "text": "The university is recognized as an international centre of excellence for training dentists." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["important", "leading", "main"], "preposition": ["centre for"], "phrases": [ "a centre of excellence", "a centre of government", "a centre of population" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "the point towards which people direct their attention", "sensetop": "at the centre of something", "examples": [ { "text": "She likes to be the **centre of attention**." }, { "text": "The prime minister is at the centre of a political row over leaked Cabinet documents.", "contextForm": "at the centre of something" }, { "text": "She always liked to feel that she was at the centre of things." }, { "text": "He could never doubt that he was the centre of her world." }, { "text": "The captain was at the centre of the action right through the game." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "a moderate (= middle) political position or party, between the extremes of left-wing and right-wing parties", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "a party of the centre" }, { "text": "Are her views to the left or right of centre?" }, { "text": "a centre party" }, { "text": "Politically, she is considered to be slightly left of centre." }, { "text": "a party that occupies the centre ground of British politics" } ], "topics": ["Politics"], "collocations": { "centre/​center + noun": ["party", "ground"], "phrases": ["left of centre", "right of centre"] } }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "a player or position in the middle of the pitch, court, etc.", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "in or into the most important position", "examples": [ { "text": "The issue has moved front and center in his presidential campaign." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "in all directions; everywhere", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "He's giving away money left, right and centre." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˈsentə(r)/", "audio": "ce/centre/centre__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˈsentər/", "audio": "ce/centre/centre__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin centrum, from Greek kentron ‘sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses’, related to kentein ‘to prick’." }