1. Something in a central position, especially a decorative object or arrangement placed at the center of a table.
2. The central or most important feature: "Now comes decontrol, the centerpiece of [the President's] energy program" (Tom Alexander).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.