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cento: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Very Low
UK/ˈsɛntəʊ/US/ˈsɛntoʊ/

Formal/Literary/Academic

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Quick answer

What does “cento” mean?

a poem or other composition made by putting together lines or passages from various other authors.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

a poem or other composition made by putting together lines or passages from various other authors.

More broadly, any artistic work that is a patchwork or collage of existing fragments, pieces, or quotations. In classical antiquity, it could also refer to a cloak or garment made from patches.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or usage between UK and US English. It is equally rare and specialized in both.

Connotations

Scholarly, erudite, sometimes archaic. Can imply cleverness or pedantry, depending on context.

Frequency

Extremely rare in everyday language. Encountered almost exclusively in literary criticism, classical studies, or certain creative writing contexts.

Grammar

How to Use “cento” in a Sentence

[be] a cento of X[compose/write/construct/create/form] a cento [from/of/using] Y

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
classical centoVirgilian centoliterary centocento poemcompose a cento
medium
famous centocreate a centomedieval centopatchwork cento
weak
clever centooriginal centomodern centocentury-old cento

Examples

Examples of “cento” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • [No verb use]

American English

  • [No verb use]

adverb

British English

  • [No adverb use]

American English

  • [No adverb use]

adjective

British English

  • The cento form was popular among late Roman poets.

American English

  • Her cento technique involves weaving lines from Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

[Not applicable]

Academic

Used in literary criticism and classical philology to describe a specific genre of derivative poetry.

Everyday

[Not used]

Technical

A precise term in literary and poetic analysis; also relevant in art criticism for works using quotation or appropriation.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “cento”

Strong

pastichecentoism

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “cento”

original workunified compositionautonomous piece

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “cento”

  • Pronouncing it /'sentroʊ/ (like 'central' without the 'ral').
  • Using it as a general synonym for 'quote' or 'excerpt'.
  • Spelling as 'centro'.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

It is pronounced with a soft 'c' (/s/), as in 'census'. The IPA is /ˈsɛntəʊ/.

Yes, while originally and primarily literary, the term can be applied metaphorically to any composite work of art, such as a musical piece or a visual collage made from existing elements.

No. A cento is a deliberate, acknowledged artistic form where the borrowing is the point of the creation. Plagiarism is the uncredited passing-off of others' work as one's own.

It comes from Latin 'cento', meaning a patchwork garment or blanket. The literary sense derives from this metaphor of something stitched together from various pieces.

a poem or other composition made by putting together lines or passages from various other authors.

Cento is usually formal/literary/academic in register.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “[no common idioms]”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a SENATOR (sounds like 'sen-to') giving a speech made entirely of quotes from famous leaders—a political 'cento'.

Conceptual Metaphor

A TEXT/ARTWORK IS A PATCHWORK QUILT.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The postmodern novel was less an original narrative and more of a literary , stitched together from fragments of detective fiction and romantic poetry.
Multiple Choice

What is the primary characteristic of a 'cento'?

cento: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore