( BrE ) ( AmE center ) noun
1 middle point/part of sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ dead , exact , true , very
▪
We've bought an apartment in the very ~ of São Paulo.
▪ city , town (both esp. BrE )
▪ soft
▪
chocolates with soft ~s
PREPOSITION
▪ at the ~ (of)
▪
at the ~ of the universe
▪ in the ~ (of)
▪
a museum in the ~ of Cairo
PHRASES
▪ the ~ of the city ( esp. BrE ), the ~ of (the) town ( esp. BrE )
2 important place for sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ important , leading , main , major , nerve ( figurative )
▪
the economic nerve ~ of India
▪ international , local , national , regional , world
▪ commercial , cultural , economic , financial , industrial , trading , urban
▪
Tokyo is one of the main financial ~s of the world.
▪ population , power
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ for
▪
The university is a major ~ for scientific research.
PHRASES
▪ a ~ of excellence (= a place where a particular kind of work is done well)
▪ a ~ of government , a ~ of population , a ~ of power
3 the centre/center moderate political position
CENTRE/CENTER + NOUN
▪ party
▪ ground ( BrE )
▪
a party that occupies the ~ ground of national politics
PHRASES
▪ left of ~ , right of ~
▪
Politically, she is considered to be slightly left of ~.