noun

1. a building dedicated to a particular activity

e.g. they were raising money to build a new center for research

Synonym: center

2. a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process

e.g. in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere

Synonym: centernerve centernerve centre

3. the object upon which interest and attention focuses

e.g. his stories made him the center of the party

Synonym: centercenter of attentioncentre of attention

4. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

e.g. the gist of the prosecutor's argument
the heart and soul of the Republican Party
the nub of the story

Synonym: kernelsubstancecorecenteressencegistheartheart and soulinwardnessmarrowmeatnubpithsumnitty-gritty

5. the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering

Synonym: center

6. a place where some particular activity is concentrated

e.g. they received messages from several centers

Synonym: center

7. a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure

Synonym: centermidpoint

8. an area that is approximately central within some larger region

e.g. it is in the center of town
they ran forward into the heart of the struggle
they were in the eye of the storm

Synonym: centermiddlehearteye