pericentric
|per-i-cen-tric|
/ˌpɛrɪˈsɛntrɪk/
around the center
Etymology
'pericentric' originates from the Greek prefix 'peri-' (Greek 'περί' / 'peri-') meaning 'around' combined with modern English 'centric', which ultimately comes from Latin 'centrum' and Greek 'kentron', where 'kentron/centrum' meant 'center'.
'pericentric' formed in modern English by combining the classical Greek prefix 'peri-' with the adjective 'centric' (itself derived from Middle English 'centre', from Old French 'centre', from Latin 'centrum', from Greek 'kentron').
Initially the roots meant 'around' (peri-) and 'center' (kentron/centrum); over time the compound 'pericentric' has come to mean specifically 'around the center' and, in technical contexts, 'around the centromere' or 'near the pericenter' in orbital terms.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
situated around or near the center; pertaining to or focused on the central area of something.
The sculpture's lighting emphasizes its pericentric features, drawing attention to the core.
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Adjective 2
(Biology/Genetics) Located at or surrounding the centromere of a chromosome; (Astronomy/Orbital mechanics) relating to or near the pericenter (the point in an orbit closest to the central body).
Researchers noted a pericentric inversion that included the centromere, altering gene order on the chromosome.
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Last updated: 2025/12/09 18:45