a low-lying region in central France
"The historic market square of the centre is famous for its annual food festival."
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"
the object upon which interest and attention focuses
"his stories made him the center of the party"
a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process
"in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere"
Alternative spelling of center.
"She asked if they preferred to write "centre" on the sign or stick with "center.""
In plain English: The centre is the middle part of something where everything around it meets.
"The old statue stands in the centre of the town square."
Usage: Use "centre" as the standard spelling for the middle point or geometric center in British English and other varieties outside North America. In American English, always use the variant "center" instead.
Alternative spelling of center
"The British team celebrated their victory at the centre of the stadium, while the American players preferred to say they won in the center."
In plain English: To centre something means to put it exactly in the middle of a space.
"He centred his attention on the task at hand."
Usage: Do not use "centre" as a verb; in American and modern British English, the correct form for the action is always "center." Reserve the spelling "centre" exclusively for nouns referring to the middle point or location.
A former region of France, now named Centre-Val de Loire.
"After visiting the historic cities in our trip to Centre-Val de Loire, we realized that old maps simply referred to it as the centre region."
The word "centre" entered English via Middle French and Old Norse as a variant spelling of the earlier form "center." It ultimately derives from Latin centrum and Ancient Greek kéntron, which originally meant "a point used to prick or goad," such as the tip of an awl.