central1
[sen-truh l]
- of or forming the center: the central hut in the village.
- in, at, or near the center: a central position.
- constituting something from which other related things proceed or upon which they depend: a central office.
- principal; chief; dominant: the play's central character.
- Anatomy, Zoology.
- of or relating to the central nervous system.
- of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra.
- Phonetics. (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating neither expressly forward nor in the back part of the mouth, as any of the sounds of lull.
- Physics. (of a force) directed to or from a fixed point.
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- (formerly)
- a main telephone exchange.
- a telephone operator at such an exchange.
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Origin of central1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for central on Thesaurus.com4. major, main, key, leading, primary.
central2
[sen-trahl; Spanish sen-trahl]
- (in Spanish America and the Philippines) a mill for crushing cane into raw sugar.
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Origin of central2
Central
[sen-truh l]
- a region in central Scotland. 1016 sq. mi. (2631 sq. km).
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for central
Contemporary Examples
Offending the other ones has been a central strategy for Paul over the last year.
President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to force Faubus to admit the students to Central High School.
It drains your body of nutrients and vitamins, attacking the central nervous system and leaving you in a dehydrated, hazy state.
Methamphetamine addiction is central to more than one story.
All other issues—racial, feminine, even environmental—need to fit around this central objective.
Historical Examples
Plainly the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy.
The central question before us is: How shall we use that peace?
Three seats were rented by him in a central part of the large church.
Ester Ried Yet SpeakingIsabella Alden
Indeed Culbertson in the Central countries was Culbertson to none.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
I have heard of you--the most wonderful shot in Central Africa.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
central
- in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of somethingthe central street in a city; the central material of a golf ball
- main, principal, or chief; most importantthe central cause of a problem
- of or relating to the central nervous system
- of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra
- of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue held in an intermediate position halfway between the positions for back and front vowels, as for the a of English soda
- (of a force) directed from or towards a point
- informal (immediately postpositive) used to describe a place where a specified thing, quality, etc is to be found in abundancenostalgia central
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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
Word Origin and History for central
adj.
1640s, from French central or directly from Latin centralis "pertaining to a center," from centrum (see center (n.)). Centrally is attested perhaps as early as early 15c., which might imply a usage of central earlier than the attested date.
Slightly older is centric (1580s). As a U.S. colloquial noun for "central telephone exchange," first recorded 1889 (hence, "Hello, Central?"). Central processing unit attested from 1961. Central America is attested from 1826.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper