center and mall share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. center means “an area that is approximately central within some larger region”. mall means “a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk”. center is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈsɛntɚ/
1.n.an area that is approximately central within some larger region
“it is in the center of town”
2.n.the piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher
“he hit the ball to deep center”
3.n.a building dedicated to a particular activity
“they were raising money to build a new center for research”
/ˈmɔl/
1.n.a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk
2.n.mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace
“a good plaza should have a movie house”
| center | mall | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛntɚ/ | /ˈmɔl/ |
| Said | SEN-tur | mawl |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb, adjective | noun |
| Senses | 23 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | centre, middle, heart | promenade |
Full entry for center · Full entry for mall · More comparisons