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focussing

 [foh-kuhs]   Origin

fo·cus

   [foh-kuhs] noun, plural -cus·es, -ci  [-sahy, -kahy] , verb, -cused, -cus·ing or (especially British) -cussed, -cus·sing.
noun
1.
a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity: The need to prevent a nuclear war became the focus of all diplomatic efforts.
2.
Physics. a point at which rays of light, heat, or other radiation, meet after being refracted or reflected.
3.
Optics.
a.
the focal point of a lens.
b.
the focal length of a lens.
c.
the clear and sharply defined condition of an image.
d.
the position of a viewed object or the adjustment of an optical device necessary to produce a clear image: in focus; out of focus.
4.
Geometry. (of a conic section) a point having the property that the distances from any point on a curve to it and to a fixed line have a constant ratio for all points on the curve.
5.
Geology. the point of origin of an earthquake.
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6.
Pathology. the primary center from which a disease develops or in which it localizes.
COLLAPSE
verb (used with object)
7.
to bring to a focus or into focus: to focus the lens of a camera.
8.
to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts.

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Focussing is always a great word to know.
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a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
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verb (used without object)
9.
to become focused.
Origin:
1635–45; < Latin: fireplace, hearth

Related forms
fo·cus·a·ble, adjective
fo·cus·er, noun
mis·fo·cus, verb, -cused, -cus·ing or (especially British) -cussed, -cus·sing.
mis·fo·cused, adjective
mis·fo·cussed, adjective
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o·ver·fo·cus, verb (used with object), -cused, -cus·ing or (especially British) -cussed, -cus·sing.
re·fo·cus, verb, -cused, -cus·ing or (especially British) -cussed, -cus·sing.
self-fo·cused, adjective
self-fo·cus·ing, adjective
self-fo·cussed, adjective
self-fo·cus·sing, adjective
un·fo·cus·ing, adjective
un·fo·cus·sing, adjective
well-fo·cused, adjective
well-fo·cussed, adjective
COLLAPSE

Synonyms
1. center, heart, core, nucleus.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To focussing
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

focus
1640s, from L. focus "hearth, fireplace," of unknown origin, used in post-classical times for "fire" itself, taken by Kepler (1604) in a mathematical sense for "point of convergence," perhaps on analogy of the burning point of a lens (the purely optical sense of the word may have existed before Kepler,
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but it is not recorded). Introduced into English 1650s by Hobbes. Sense transfer to "center of activity or energy" is first recorded 1796. The verb is first attested 1814 in the literal sense; the figurative sense is recorded earlier (1807). Related: Focused; focusing; focussed; focussing.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

focus fo·cus (fō'kəs)
n. pl. fo·cus·es or fo·ci (-sī', -kī')

  1. A point at which rays of light or other radiation converge or from which they appear to diverge, as after refraction or reflection in an optical system. Also called focal point.

  2. See focal length.

  3. The distinctness or clarity of an image rendered by an optical system.

  4. The state of maximum distinctness or clarity of such an image.

  5. An apparatus used to adjust the focal length of an optical system in order to make an image distinct or clear.

  6. The region of a localized bodily infection or disease.

v. fo·cused or fo·cussed, fo·cus·ing or fo·cus·sing, fo·cus·es or fo·cus·ses

  1. To cause light rays or other radiation to converge on or toward a central point; concentrate.

  2. To render an object or image in clear outline or sharp detail by adjustment of one's vision or an optical device.

  3. To adjust a lens or instrument to produce a clear image.

  4. To converge on or toward a central point of focus; be focused.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
focus   (fō'kəs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural focuses or foci (fō'sī', fō'kī')

  1. The degree of clarity with which an eye or optical instrument produces an image.

  2. See focal point.

  3. A central point or region, such as the point at which an earthquake starts.

  4. Mathematics A fixed point or one of a pair of fixed points used in generating a curve such as an ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola.

  5. The region of a localized bodily infection or disease.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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