centre
centre — verb
- centrepresent simple I / you / we / they
- centres3rd person singular
- centring-ing form
- centredpast simple
1. to place something so that it is at an equal distance from the sides or edges of
to place something so that it is at an equal distance from the sides or edges of a space
Walid centred the painting on the living room wall before hanging it.
centre + object + on + surface
The photographer centred the bride and groom in the middle of the frame.
passive: be centred in [location]
Mizuki centred the text on the page before sending the file to the printer.
The small table was centred beneath the window in the hallway.
- offset
to place away from the centre, often deliberately
文法句型
centre + noun + prepositional phrase (in/on/at)
be centred + in/on/at + location
用法筆記
Often used in its passive form ('be centred') in descriptions of design, photography, and furniture arrangement. The preposition depends on the location: 'in' for an enclosed area, 'on' for a surface, 'at' for a point or line.
常見錯誤
2. in association football, to kick or pass the ball from near one side of the fiel
in association football, to kick or pass the ball from near one side of the field toward the area close to the opponent's goal
Ravindra centred the ball from the right wing to the striker near the goal.
centre + the ball + from + side + to + player
The midfielder centred to her teammate, who volleyed it into the net.
Eshe centred the ball across the penalty area, but the goalkeeper caught it.
Andrei centred from the left flank and the defender cleared the ball away.
- cross
the more common term in modern football commentary; same meaning
文法句型
centre + the ball + to + player
centre + to + player
centre + the ball + across/across + area
用法筆記
Used transitively with 'the ball' as object, or intransitively with just a 'to' phrase. Common in football match commentary and post-game reports. The American English equivalent is 'cross'.
常見錯誤
centre — noun
- centresingular
- centresplural
1. the position in an object or space that is equally far from all of its outer edg
the position in an object or space that is equally far from all of its outer edges, sides, or ends
Wei drew a small red circle right in the centre of the whiteboard.
in the centre of + noun phrase
Felix placed the crystal vase at the centre of the long dining table.
Diya's house is in the centre of town, just a short walk from the market.
The chocolate truffle has a soft caramel centre inside a dark chocolate shell.
文法句型
the centre of something
in/at the centre
用法筆記
Often used with a definite article and 'of' to specify which thing the middle belongs to.
常見錯誤
2. a person, event, or topic that attracts the greatest interest and attention from
a person, event, or topic that attracts the greatest interest and attention from a group of people at a particular time
At the wedding reception, Rachel was the centre of attention in her flowing gold dress.
the centre of attention
The trial of the former mayor became the centre of national media interest for months.
For Ingrid, her grandchildren have always been the centre of her world.
Sivan's latest exhibition quickly became the centre of the city's art scene.
- sideline
a position of less importance or involvement
文法句型
the centre of something (attention, interest, debate)
用法筆記
Common in fixed phrases 'centre of attention', 'centre of interest', and 'centre of the universe/world'. Subject is typically a person, event, place, or topic that others look toward.
3. the position of being a crucial or deeply involved part of a situation, event, o
the position of being a crucial or deeply involved part of a situation, event, or argument — for example, a person at the centre of a political crisis, or an issue at the centre of a public debate
The local school found itself at the centre of a heated argument about budget cuts.
at the centre of + (debate/crisis/controversy/argument)
Christopher was at the centre of every decision the team made about the project.
At the centre of the novel is a young woman searching for her lost brother in wartime.
The scientists' research on vaccines is at the centre of global efforts to stop the disease.
- periphery
the outer edge of involvement; a less important position
文法句型
at the centre of something (a situation, event, controversy)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes being deeply involved or essential (crucial role), while sense 2 describes being the object of others' attention. 'At the centre of a crisis' means you are key to it; 'the centre of attention' means everyone is watching you.
常見錯誤
4. a building, room, or area that provides a particular type of service, activity,
a building, room, or area that provides a particular type of service, activity, or facility for the public
The community centre runs free yoga classes every Thursday evening.
community centre / shopping centre / sports centre / health centre
A new shopping centre with fifty shops and a cinema opened last weekend.
Lakan goes to the sports centre twice a week to use the swimming pool.
Patients can see a doctor at the local health centre without making an appointment.
文法句型
centre + for + noun
shopping centre
community centre
health centre
用法筆記
The specific purpose is usually shown by a word before 'centre', such as 'community centre', 'shopping centre', 'health centre', 'conference centre', or 'fitness centre'. In American English this is spelled 'center'.
常見錯誤
5. a player who takes a central position on the pitch or court in sports like baske
a player who takes a central position on the pitch or court in sports like basketball and rugby, or the role that such a player fills on the team
Femi plays centre for the university basketball team and scores most of their points.
play centre
As a rugby centre, you need to be fast and skilled at passing the ball.
The coach moved Esteban from wing to centre at the start of the season.
The team captain plays centre and directs the attacking plays from midfield.
- midfielder
used in football (soccer) and field hockey for a similar middle-area position
文法句型
play centre
centre + for + team
用法筆記
The exact role of a 'centre' varies by sport. In basketball the centre is usually the tallest player and plays near the basket; in rugby the centres form part of the back line and are key in attack and defence.
6. in American football, the player on the offensive line who takes a central posit
in American football, the player on the offensive line who takes a central position and starts each play by sending the ball backwards to the quarterback
Mauricio has been the team's starting centre for three seasons and rarely makes a bad snap.
starting centre
The centre snapped the ball cleanly to the quarterback, who threw it down the field.
Darius was named the best college centre in the country by several sports magazines.
The rookie centre practised snapping the ball for hours every day.
文法句型
starting centre
centre + snaps + ball
用法筆記
Only used in the context of American or Canadian football. In rugby, the middle-line position is also called 'centre' (sense 5), but the American football centre has a very different role — snapping the ball rather than receiving it.
常見錯誤
7. In baseball, the area of the outfield that lies directly behind the pitcher's mo
In baseball, the area of the outfield that lies directly behind the pitcher's mound, between left field and right field.
The batter hit a high fly ball to centre field, and Eitan caught it easily.
collocation: hit / catch in centre field
Baraka sprinted across centre field to chase down the ball before it hit the ground.
The ball landed deep in centre field, far beyond the reach of the infielders.
Yuna made an impressive running catch in centre field, stopping the other team from scoring.
- center field
US spelling of the same term
- left field
the outfield area to the batter's right
- right field
the outfield area to the batter's left
用法筆記
Only used in baseball. The corresponding player position is centre fielder.
常見錯誤
8. In team ball sports played on a pitch or a rink, the central marked spot where p
In team ball sports played on a pitch or a rink, the central marked spot where play begins or restarts after a goal is scored.
The referee put the ball on the centre spot to start the match.
collocation: on the centre spot
Noor passed the ball from the centre circle to a teammate on the right wing.
collocation: from the centre circle
After the goal, both teams returned to the centre of the pitch for the restart.
In ice hockey, every period begins with a face-off at the centre of the rink.
- centre circle
the circular marking around the centre spot, used especially in football
- midfield
the general middle area of the pitch, not the specific restart spot
用法筆記
Often called the centre circle in football because of the painted circle around the centre spot. In ice hockey, the equivalent is the centre-ice face-off spot.
9. A moderate political position or group that avoids extreme left-wing or right-wi
A moderate political position or group that avoids extreme left-wing or right-wing views, often aimed at appealing to the widest range of voters.
The party aims to win votes from the centre with moderate tax and healthcare policies.
collocation: win votes from the centre
Lakan's views place him in the centre of the party, not on the far left.
collocation: in the centre of [party]
Kasia argued that only a candidate who appeals to the centre can win an election.
The centre of British politics has shifted towards more moderate economic policies in recent years.
Isabela's views are in the centre — she supports free markets and welfare programmes.
- centrists
refers to the people who hold moderate views
- the middle ground
a less formal way to describe moderate political space
- moderates
emphasises the rejection of extreme positions
- the far left
the extreme end of left-wing politics
- the far right
the extreme end of right-wing politics
用法筆記
Often takes the definite article: the centre. Frequently paired with political spectrum terms such as 'left' and 'right' for contrast.