concentre, -center, v.
(kənˈsɛntə(r))
[a. F. concentre-r ‘to ioyne in one center’ Cotgr.; (It. concentrare, Sp. concentrar); L. type *concentrāre, f. con- together + centrum centre.]
I. trans.
1. To bring or draw to a common centre; to direct towards a centre; to bring together as at a centre.
| 1633 T. Adams Exp. 2 Peter iii. 10 All dignities, all titles, shall be concentred in him [Christ]. 1663 Bp. Patrick Parab. Pilgr. 412 The love of God..concenters and unites all our thoughts and affections in one good. 1764 Foote Patron ii. i, In you, Madam, are concenter'd all the beauties of the heathen mythology. 1862 Lytton Str. Story I. 103 When ideas of perfection and purity..start forth and concentre themselves round one virgin shape. |
b. To attract to itself as a centre; to form a centre or meeting-point for. rare.
| 1795 Southey Joan of Arc iv. 439 His eager eye Concentring all the anguish of the soul. 1796 Wordsw. Borderers ii. Wks. (1889) 48/1 My breast..Concentres all the terrors of the Universe. 1825 New Monthly Mag. XIV. 333 Lord of a thousand victories, he Concentred his empire's majesty. |
c. fig. To collect (the mental faculties, thoughts, etc.) and give them a single direction or purpose.
| 1772 Burke Corr. (1844) I. 377 Whenever we concentre the mind on one sole object. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. vi. i, The wretch, concentred all in self. 1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. I. x. 220 The neglect of concentering my powers. 1852 Conybeare & Howson St. Paul (1862) I. x. 353 How the attention of the whole audience is concentered at the last upon Jesus Christ. |
2. To bring close together as by drawing to a centre; to pack closely as round a centre; to bring into small space or volume; hence, often, to increase the vigour or intensity of.
| 1598 Florio, Concentrare, to..incorporate, or concentre hard together. 1633 J. Russell Batt. Lutzen in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) IV. 199 His death did but concenter and redouble their vigour. 1707 Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 36 The Spirit of Life that is concenter'd in the Seed. 1840 Carlyle Heroes iii. (1858) 254 His greatness has ..concentered itself into fiery emphasis and depth. 1853 Herschel Pop. Lect. Sc. v. §34 (1873) 209 It would require four hundred such suns concentred into one to send us the light which that superb star actually does. |
† 3. Chem. = concentrate v. 3. Also fig. Obs.
| 1669 W. Simpson Hydrol. Chym. 73 Doth so collect and concentre those malignant steams. 1673 Phil. Trans. VIII. 6024 Thereby more and more to concenter the acid parts. 1823 J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 19 The acid property required to be drawn and concentered for use. |
† 4. ? To mix by ‘concentration’ (sense 2); to combine, compound. Obs.
| 1674 Grew Anat. Plants, Lect. ii. Luctation (1682) 242 Stones, and Metals; into which the said Bolus's are transmuted, by being concentred with divers kinds of Salts and Sulphurs, which successively flow in upon them. |
II. intr. (for refl.)
5. To converge to, or meet in, a common centre (as radii); to move towards a centre; to come together into one place. lit. and fig.
| 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 47 That..his inmost thoughts (like lines in a Circle) shall alwayes concenter in this immoveable point. 1660 Boyle Seraph. Love x. (1700) 56 He is that glorious Sun, from whom (as Beams) all created Perfections flow, and in whom they all concentre. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 19 ¶9 There was no way of life in which all his views could so completely concenter as in that of a soldier. 1816 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XLII. 12 The instruction resident in the different classes will otherwise not concenter in the seat of Government. 1853 Kane Grinnell Exp. xlix, The sea..is studded with bergs, apparently concentering about our anchorage. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. V. ii. 347 This jealousy of control from without concentred in the subject of taxation. |
b. Of circles: To be concentric.
| 1660 Evelyn Mem. (1857) III. 129 [They] might be made to have their circles as orderly as those which we find in Brasile, Ebene, &c., which, within a very little, concentre by reason of the uniform course of the Sun about them. |
† 6. To agree, coincide; to come into, or be in, harmony or accord. Obs.
| a 1591 Greenham in Consid. Peace & Goodw. Prot. 31 The Godly wise on both sides, bear with each other, and concenter in the Main. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler (1843) 41 If the Assembly of all Divines, do not consent, and concenter the sooner. 1702 Howe Living Temple Wks. (1834) 107 That the glorious Subsistents in the eternal Godhead should so concentre in kind design..towards a despicable impure worm! 1755 T. Amory Mem. (1769) II. 95 By associating and concentring with the divinity. |
Hence conˈcentring, -tering vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1641 Ld. J. Digby Sp. in Ho. Com. 19 Jan. 14 A King..by a Concentring of all the Royall lynes in his Person. |