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cento

[sen-toh]
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noun, plural cen·tos.
  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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Origin of cento

First recorded in 1595–1605, cento is from the Latin word centō patchwork quilt or curtain
Related formscen·ton·i·cal [sen-ton-i-kuh l] /sɛnˈtɒn ɪ kəl/, adjectivecen·to·nism [sen-tn-iz-uh m] /ˈsɛn tnˌɪz əm/, cen·to·ni·za·tion [sen-tn-uh-zey-shuh n] /ˌsɛn tn əˈzeɪ ʃən/, noun

CENTO

[sen-toh]
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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Origin of CENTO

Cen(tral) T(reaty) O(rganization)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cento

Historical Examples

  • But, withal, there are unity and progress in this cento of citations.

    The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 2

    Alexander Maclaren

  • This work is, for the most part, what the author himself styles it, 'a cento;' but it is a very ingenious one.

    The Anatomy of Melancholy

    Democritus Junior

  • Cento Racconti per divertire gli amici nelle ore oziose e nuovi brindisi per spasso nelle tavole e nelle conversazioni.

    Italian Popular Tales

    Thomas Frederick Crane

  • The last anecdote is quite popular, and is found in a number of popular stories, as well as in the Cento Novelle Antiche.

    Italian Popular Tales

    Thomas Frederick Crane

  • There are several Italian literary versions, the best known being in the Cento nov. ant.

    Italian Popular Tales

    Thomas Frederick Crane

British Dictionary definitions for cento

cento

noun plural -tos
  1. a piece of writing, esp a poem, composed of quotations from other authors
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Word Origin

C17: from Latin, literally: patchwork garment

CENTO

n acronym for
  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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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012