v. [a. F. concentre-r ‘to ioyne in one center’ Cotgr.; (It. concentrare, Sp. concentrar); L. type *concentrāre, f. con- together + centrum CENTER.]
I. trans. 1. To bring or draw to a common center; to direct towards a center; to bring together as at a center.
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 center; to form a center 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 center; to pack closely as round a center; to bring into small space or volume; hence, often, to increase the vigor 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 center (as radii); to move towards a center; 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 Concentering, -tring vbl. sb. 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.
