cen|tu|ry

cen|tu|ry «SEHN chuhr ee», noun, plural -ries.

1. each 100 years, counting from some special time, such as the birth of Christ: »

the 20th century. For the last three centuries, Western civilization has dedicated a good part of its energies to the invention of machines and the extension of their operations into every corner of life (New Yorker).

2. a period of 100 years. From 1824 to 1924 is a century. »

He lived a century.

3. a group of 100 people or things; a hundred: »

Tribes were subdivided into ten units of 1,000 households and each of these into halves composed of five centuries, each century numbering 100 households (Beals and Hoijer).

4. Cricket. a hundred runs in an innings: »

... a boy who…can be relied on to score a century in most school cricket matches (London Times).

5. a body of soldiers in the ancient Roman army. Originally, it probably consisted of 100 soldiers.

6. a division of the ancient Roman people for voting. Each century had one vote.

7. U.S. Slang. 100 dollars.

╂[< Latin centuria a division of a hundred units < centum hundred]

Usage The fifth century _A.D. ran from the beginning of the year 401 to and including the year 500, the nineteenth century from January 1, 1801, through December 31, 1900. Dates before Christ are similarly reckoned. The first century _B.C. runs back from the birth of Christ through 100, the second century from 101 through 200. Popularly, confusion arises because many consider the century changes when the numbers advance from the 99th year to the next hundred, making 2000 the first year of the 21st century rather than 2001, but the century always takes its name from the year completing each hundred-year period.

Cen|tu|ry «SEHN chuhr ee», noun.

a style of printing type.