/ senˈtrɪpɪtl; NAmE ; ˌsentrɪˈpiːtl/ adjective
( technical ) moving or tending to move towards a centre
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 18th cent.: from modern Latin centripetus , from Latin centrum (from Greek kentron sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses, related to kentein to prick) + -petus seeking (from petere seek).