Middle English Dictionary Entry
centre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | centre n. |
| Etymology | OF, from L centrum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The geometrical center of a circle or sphere.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.233 : This erthe..hath his centre after the lawe Of kinde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)329a/a : Of pleyne figures..þe firste is þe cercle..in þe myddel þerof is a poynte..in gemetry þat poynt hatte centrum.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[1.5] 76b : The centre of the large hole.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[2.38] 95a : In the centre of the compas stike an euen pyn.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.944 : Ylyovn..iustly circuler..Takyng þe lyne þat kerueþ þoruȝ þe centre, By gemetrie.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)123/24 : Be þer ymagyned a figure þat hath a gret compas & aboute the poynt of the gret compas þat is clept the centre be made another litill compas..all the lynes meeten at the centre.
- c1475 Court Sap.(Trin-C R.3.21)1989 : Dame Geometry..Whyche ys the poynt, the centre, and the pole, Full craftyly she taught of euery spere.
2.
A dot or hole that marks the center of a circle or sphere.
Associated quotations
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/17 : This litel hole..shal be cleped the comune centre defferent of planetes.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)26/53 : The prikkes in the lynes ben the centris equantis & defferentis.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[1.18] 81b : The centre that stondeth amyddes the narwest cercle is clepid the cenyth.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)37/95 : Is nat the erthe but a centre to the cercle of heven? A pricke is wonder litel in respect of al the cercle.
3.
The fixed center about which circles or spheres revolve or can be described; often fig., as a symbol of stability; as ani ~ stable.
Associated quotations
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.22 : Sooth of his word, benygne, and honurable, Of his corage as any centre stable.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1724 : Trouth shuld..be..as a Centre stable.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.356 : Ech hie þing mote have a good and stable ground..And so as þe sentre is lowest of alle þingis, so Crist is þe mekeste þat mai be.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.5.3 : Whoso that ne knowe nat the sterres of Arctour, ytorned neygh to the sovereyne centre or poynt.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.127,148 : Ryght as of cerklis that tornen aboute a same centre..in so moche is the thing more fre..fro destyne, as it..hooldeth hym neer to thilke centre of thingis (that is to seyn, to God).
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.1310 : In this purpos, as eny centre stable, He cast hym..To correcte al that was repreuable.
- c1475 Lydg.Aesop (Hrl 2251:Sauerstein)p.3 : This fowle is..Stable as a centre on a grounde of trowth.
4.
The central part or core (of a mass).
Associated quotations
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.4.5a : The erthe semyd to me all cleer..Than I beheld the centre even in the myddes, wich was wonder derk.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1470 : Might it not entre and perse the centries of mettalles, as authours reherse.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2655 : Within centris of incomplete white was hidde our Red stone of moste delite.
5.
The central or middle point of an irregular body.
Associated quotations
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/28 : This rewle mot be shape in maner of a label on an astrelabie. The centre of this rewle shal be nayled to the centre of the forseide barre.
6.
The position of equilibrium (of an instrument).
Associated quotations
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[1.2] 76a : It [a ring] distourbeth not the instrument to hangen after his riȝt centre.
7.
Astron. (a) The point of the metal tongue representing a star on the rete of an astrolabe; (b) ~ arin, a point at the center of an equatorie which represents the center of the earth; ~ defferent, the center of the main circular orbit of a planet's motion; commun ~ defferent, the hole in the limb of the epicycle part of an equatorie which serves as centre defferent for all of the planets; ~ equant, a point near the center of a deferent circle about which the angular velocity is uniform; (c) (table of) centres, a table showing distances of centre equant and centre defferent from the center of an equatorie for each of the planets severally.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[1.21] 82b : The names of the sterres ben wryten in the margyn of the ryet there they sitte, of whiche sterres the smale poynt is the centre.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[2.19] 89a : Sette the centre of the sterre vpon the est orizont.
b
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)20/35 : Set thanne the fix point of thy compas in centre arin.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/17 : This litel hole þat is no grettere than a smal nedle shal be cleped the comune centre defferent of planetes.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)30/3-6 : Put thanne a blak thred in centre aryn (terre) & a whit thred in centre equant of any planete þat the list haue of equacion, and put the comune centre defferent of thyn Epicicle vp on the centre different in thy plate.
c
- ?c1450(a1388) Wallingford Exafrenon (Dgb 67:Price)204 : When þu hast made equations of the planetis be þe argumentis & þe centris & oþer thyngis.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)20/33 : Sek thanne in thi table of centris the distaunce of the centre equant of saturne fro centre aryn.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/36 : Sek thanne in thy table of centres the semydiametre of the epicicle of saturnus.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1277 : His tables tolletanes forth he broght..ne ther lakked noght..Ne hise rootes, ne hise othere geris, As been his centris and hise argumentz.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)38/6 : The centre of hir (lune) epicicle..moeuyth equaly aboute the centre of the zodiac.
Note: Quot. antedates sense 1..
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)26/10 : The face of the equatorie: euery centre mot ben also smal as a nedle & in euery equant mot be a silk thred.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 2..
- c1450 Lydg.FP (Ryl Eng 2)2.2061 : Tentre [Bod: Nay, rather deie..than tassente To his desirs,which thyng God forbeede, Or fro the centre off my chast entente For to remeue outher in thouht or dede].
Note: New form: Also..(error) tentre.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 3. (fig.)
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/24 : Draw thanne by thi rewle a lyne fro the hed of aries to the hed of libra..& draw swich another lyne ouerthwart..fro the hed of cancer to the hed of capricorne & in the seccioun of this crois is the centre of the epicicle.
Note: Epicicle = a part of the equatorie. Center of the Epicicle = the middle of the bar of the Epicicle where the bar is pivoted.
Note: Supplementary material for sense 5..
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)18/26 : The middel poynt of this plate wher as the fix fot of thy compas stondith wole I calle centre aryn.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)20/21 : Set thanne the fix poynt of thy compas in centre aryn & the moeuable point in .12. degres..of lyne alhudda & descriue a cercle & þt is the centre defferent of the mone.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)34/32 : Nota..þt thy nedle ne be nat remewed whan it is stikyd thorw the commune centre defferent into any centre different on thy plate.
Note: Additional quots. for sense 7.(b).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section (including Supplement forms): Also sentre (Latinate) centrum & (error) tentre; pl. centri(e)s.--notes per MLL