Online Etymology Dictionary

centenarian (n.): 1805, "person 100 years old," from centenary + -ian. As an adjective, "pertaining to a person 100 years old," recorded from 1806.
centenary (adj.): c.1600, "period of 100 years," from Latin centenarius "of a hundred, relating to a hundred," from centenai "a hundred each," from centum "hundred" (see hundred). As a noun, "100th anniversary," from 1788.
centennial (adj.): c.1797, from Latin centum "one hundred" (see hundred) + ending from biennial. As a noun, "hundredth anniversary celebration," from 1876; the older noun is centenary.
center (n.): late 14c., "middle point of a circle; point round which something revolves," from Old French centre (14c.), from Latin centrum "center," originally fixed point of the two points of a drafting compass, from Greek kentron "sharp point, goad, sting of a wasp," from kentein "stitch," from PIE root *kent- "to prick" (cf. Breton kentr "a spur," Welsh cethr "nail," Old High German hantag "sharp, pointed").

Figuratively from 1680s. Meaning "the middle of anything" attested from 1590s. Spelling with -re popularized in Britain by Johnson's dictionary (following Bailey's), though -er is older and was used by Shakespeare, Milton, and Pope. Center of gravity is recorded from 1650s. Center of attention is from 1868.
center (v.): 1590s, "to concentrate at a center," from center (n.). Related: Centered; centering. Meaning "to rest as at a center" is from 1620s. Sports sense of "to hit toward the center" is from 1890. To be centered on is from 1713. In combinations, -centered is attested by 1958.
centerfield (n.): also center field, 1857 in baseball, from center (n.) + field (n.). Related: Center-fielder.
centerfold (n.): also center-fold, "fold-out center spread of a magazine or newspaper," 1950, from center (n.) + fold (n.2). "Playboy" debuted December 1953, and the word came to be used especially for illustrations of comely women, hence "woman who poses as a centerfold model" (by 1965).
centerpiece (n.): also center-piece, 1800, from center + piece (n.). Figurative sense is recorded from 1937.
centi-: word-forming element meaning "one hundred" or "one hundredth part," used in English from c.1800, from the French metric system, from Latin centi-, comb. form of centum "one hundred" (see hundred).
centigrade (adj.): 1799, from French; see centi- "hundred" + Latin gradus "degree" (see grade).
centigram (n.): also centigramme, 1801, from French centigramme; see centi- + gram.
centiliter (n.): also centilitre, 1801, from French centilitre; see centi- + liter.
centillion (n.): 1846, from centi- + ending from million, etc. Cf. French centillion (by 1841). Related: Centillionth.
centime (n.): 1801, from French centime, from cent (see centi-) on analogy of décime (pars).
centimeter (n.): also centimetre, 1801, from French centimètre (18c.), coined from Latin centum "hundred" (see hundred) + French mètre (see meter (n.2)).
centipede (n.): 1640s, from French centipède, from Latin centipeda "many-footed insect," from centum "hundred" (see hundred) + pedis, genitive of pes "foot" (see foot (n.)).
central (adj.): 1640s, from French central or directly from Latin centralis "pertaining to a center," from centrum (see center (n.)). Centrally is attested perhaps as early as early 15c., which might imply a usage of central earlier than the attested date.

Slightly older is centric (1580s). As a U.S. colloquial noun for "central telephone exchange," first recorded 1889 (hence, "Hello, Central?"). Central processing unit attested from 1961. Central America is attested from 1826.
centrality (n.): 1640s; see central (adj.) + -ity.
centralization (n.): 1801, especially of administrative power, originally with reference to Napoleonic France and on model of French centralisation. See centralize + -ation.
centralize (v.): 1795, "to bring to a center;" 1800, "come to a center," from central + -ize, on model of French centraliser (1790). A word from the French Revolution. Related: Centralized; centralizing.
Government should have a central point throughout its whole periphery. The state of the monthly expences amounted to four hundred millions; but within these seven months, it is reduced to one hundred and eighty millions. Such is the effect of the centralization of government; and the more we centralize it, the more we shall find our expenses decrease. [Saint-Just, "Discourse on the State of the Finances"]
centre: chiefly British English spelling of center (q.v.); for ending, see -re.
centrifugal (adj.): 1690s, with adjectival suffix -al (1) + Modern Latin centrifugus, 1687, coined by Sir Isaac Newton (who wrote in Latin) in "Principia" (which is written in Latin), from Latin centri- alternative comb. form of centrum "center" (see center (n.)) + fugere "to flee" (see fugitive). Centrifugal force is Newton's vis centrifuga.
centrifuge (n.): 1887, "a centrifuge machine," originally a machine for separating cream from milk, from French centrifuge, from noun use of adjective meaning "centrifugal" (1801), from Modern Latin centrifugus (see centrifugal).
centriole (n.): 1896, from German centriol (1895), from Modern Latin centriolum, diminutive of centrum (see center (n.)).
centripetal (adj.): 1709, from Modern Latin, coined 1687 by Sir Isaac Newton (who wrote in Latin), from Latin centri- alternative comb. form of centrum "center" (see center (n.)) + petere "to make for, go to; seek, strive after" (see petition (n.)). Centripetal force is Newton's vim ... centripetam.
centrism (n.): 1935, from centre + -ism (also see centrist).
centrist (n.): 1872, from French centriste, from centre (see center (n.)). Originally in English with reference to French politics; general application to other political situations is from 1890.
Where M. St. Hilaire is seen to most advantage, however, is when quietly nursing one of that weak-kneed congregation who sit in the middle of the House, and call themselves "Centrists." A French Centrist is--exceptis eoccipiendis--a man who has never been able to make up his mind, nor is likely to. ["Men of the Third Republic," London, 1873]
centrosome (n.): 1889, from German centrosoma (1888), coined by German zoologist Theodor Boveri (1862-1915), from centro- (see center (n.)) + Greek soma "body" (see somato-).
centurion (n.): late 13c., from Latin centurionem (nominative centurio), "Roman army officer, head of a centuria" (a group of one hundred); see century.
century (n.): 1530s, "one hundred (of anything)," from Latin centuria "group of one hundred" of things of one kind (including a measure of land and a division of the Roman army, one-sixteenth of a legion, headed by a centurion), from centum "hundred" (see hundred) on analogy of decuria "a company of ten."

Used in Middle English from late 14c. as a division of land, from Roman use. The Modern English meaning is attested from 1650s, short for century of years (1620s). The older, general sense is preserved in the meaning "score of 100 points" in cricket and some other sports. Related: Centurial.
CEO (n.): by 1984; abbreviation of chief executive officer.
cephalic (adj.): "pertaining to the head," early 15c., from Latin cephalicus, from Greek kephalikos "pertaining to the head," from kephale (see cephalo-).
cephalization (n.): 1864, coined by U.S. zoologist James D. Dana (1813-1895) from Greek kephale "head" (see cephalo-) on model of specialization, etc.
cephalo-: before vowels, cephal-, word-forming element meaning "head, skull, brain," Modern Latin combining form of Greek kephale "head," perhaps from PIE *ghebh-el-.
cephalopod (n.): 1825, from French cephalopode, from Modern Latin Cephalopoda (the class name), from Greek kephale "head" (see cephalo-) + pod-, stem of pous "foot" (see foot (n.)).
cephalothorax (n.): 1829, from cephalo- + thorax. Perhaps from French or German.
Cepheid (n.): type of variable star, 1904, from Delta Cephi, the name of the first such star identified, which is in the dim northern constellation Cephus, named for Greek Kepheus, a mythical king. With -id.
ceraceous (adj.): "waxy," 1738, from Latin cera "wax" (see cere (n.)) + -aceous.
ceramic (adj.): 1850, keramic, from Greek keramikos, from keramos "potter's clay, pottery, tiles," perhaps from a pre-Hellenic word. Watkins suggests possible connection with Latin cremare "to burn," but Klein's sources are firmly against this. Spelling influenced by French céramique (1806). Related: ceramist (1855). Ceramics is attested from 1857.
cerato-: word-forming element meaning "horn," from Latinized comb. form of Greek keras "horn" (see kerato-).
ceratosaurus (n.): 1884, from cerato- + -saurus.
Cerberus: "watch-dog guardian of Hades," late 14c., Latinized form of Greek Kerberos, of unknown origin, according to Klein perhaps cognate with Sanskrit karbarah, sabalah "spotted, speckled;" Sabalah was the name of one of the two dogs of Yama.
cere (n.): late 15c., from French cire "wax" (12c.), from Latin cera "wax, wax seal, wax writing tablet," related to Greek keros "beeswax," of unknown origin.
cereal (n.): 1832, "grass yielding edible grain," originally an adjective (1818) "having to do with edible grain," from French céréale (16c., "of Ceres;" 18c. in grain sense), from Latin Cerealis "of grain," originally "of Ceres," from Ceres, Italic goddess of agriculture, from PIE *ker-es-, from root *ker- "to grow" (see crescent). The application to breakfast food cereal made from grain is American English, 1899.
cerebellum (n.): 1560s, from Latin cerebellum "a small brain," diminutive of cerebrum "brain" (see cerebral).
cerebral (adj.): 1816, "pertaining to the brain," from French cérébral (16c.), from Latin cerebrum "the brain" (also "the understanding"), from PIE *keres-, from root *ker- "top of the head" (see horn (n.)). Meaning "intellectual, clever" is from 1929. Cerebral palsy attested from 1824, originally a general term for cases of paralysis that seemed to be traceable to "a morbid state of the encephalon." Later used in a more specific sense from c.1860, based on the work of English surgeon Dr. William Little.
cerebration (n.): 1853, coined by English physiologist Dr. William B. Carpenter (1813-1885) from Latin cerebrum "brain" (see cerebral) + -ation. Related: Cerebrate (v.); cerebrated.
cerebrovascular (adj.): 1935, from cerebro-, comb. form of Latin cerebrum (see cerebral) + vascular.
cerebrum (n.): 1610s, from Latin cerebrum "brain" (see cerebral).
ceremonial (adj.): c.1400, "belonging to (religious) ritual," also as a noun, "a ceremonial practice," from Late Latin caerimonialis "pertaining to ceremony," from caerimonia (see ceremony). Related: Ceremonially.