cento

¹ American  

[sen-toh] / ˈsɛn toʊ /

noun

PLURAL

centos

1. a piece of writing, especially a poem, composed wholly of quotations from the works of other authors.

2. anything composed of incongruous parts; conglomeration.

3. Obsolete. a patchwork.

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CENTO ² American  

[sen-toh] / ˈsɛn toʊ /

noun

1. a former organization (1959–79) for economic and military cooperation, established as successor to the Baghdad Pact, and comprising Great Britain, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. The U.S. had affiliate status.

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CENTO ¹ British  

/ ˈsɛntəʊ /

acronym

1. Central Treaty Organization; an organization for military and economic cooperation formed in 1959 by the UK, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey as a successor to the Baghdad Pact: disbanded 1979

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cento ² British  

/ ˈsɛntəʊ /

noun

1. a piece of writing, esp a poem, composed of quotations from other authors

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Other Word Forms

• centonical adjective
• centonism noun
• centonization noun

Etymology

Origin of cento¹

First recorded in 1595–1605, cento is from the Latin word centō patchwork quilt or curtain

Origin of CENTO²

Cen(tral) T(reaty) O(rganization)

Example Sentences

Tomato passata, an uncooked tomato puree from brands such as Mutti, DeLallo and Cento, can be found at well-stocked supermarkets.

From Washington Post

Firefighter Eric Cento, who has worked two extra volunteer shifts weekly, administered a shot to a homebound Holocaust survivor in her late 90s earlier this year.

From Seattle Times

A married couple whom Cento helped get their first doses at a senior community center were put on a list by a synagogue, but they’re not Jewish.

From Seattle Times

You have now written a cento with the generous help of others!

From New York Times

Paste your lines on paper or on a document, and you have your cento.

From New York Times