lo·cus

[loh-kuhs]
noun, plural lo·ci [-sahy, -kee, -kahy] , lo·ca [-kuh] .
1.
a place; locality.
2.
a center or source, as of activities or power: locus of control.
3.
Mathematics. the set of all points, lines, or surfaces that satisfy a given requirement.
4.
Genetics. the chromosomal position of a gene as determined by its linear order relative to the other genes on that chromosome.
Origin:
1525–35; < Latin; OL stlocus a place

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To locus
00:10
Locus is always a great word to know.
So is equation. Does it mean:
an expression or a proposition, often algebraic, asserting the equality of two quantities
a positive integer that is not divisible without remainder by any integer except itself and 1, with 1 often excluded
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Collins
World English Dictionary
locus (ˈləʊkəs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl loci
1.  (in many legal phrases) a place or area, esp the place where something occurred
2.  maths a set of points whose location satisfies or is determined by one or more specified conditions: the locus of points equidistant from a given point is a circle
3.  genetics the position of a particular gene on a chromosome
 
[C18: Latin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

locus
(pl. loci), 1715, "locality," from L. locus "place," from O.Latin stlocus, lit. "where something is placed," from PIE base *st(h)el- "to cause to stand, to place." Used by L. writers for Gk. topos.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

locus lo·cus (lō'kəs)
n. pl. lo·ci (-sī', -kē, -kī')

  1. A place; site.

  2. The position that a given gene occupies on a chromosome.

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
locus   (lō'kəs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural loci (lō'sī', -kē, -kī')

  1. The set or configuration of all points whose coordinates satisfy a single equation or one or more algebraic conditions.

  2. The position that a given gene occupies on a chromosome.


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

locus definition


plur. loci (loh-seye, loh-keye)

In geometry, the set of all points (and only those points) that satisfy certain conditions; these points form a curve or figure. For example, the locus of all points in space one foot from a given point is a sphere having a radius of one foot and having its center at the given point. The locus of all points in a plane one foot from a given point is a circle having a radius of one foot and having its center at the given point.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

Locus definition


A distributed system project supporting transparent access to data through a network-wide file system.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
Cite This Source
Example sentences
In terms of method, first they seem to have focused on patterns of genetic variation on the intra-locus dimension.
Because the locus of world economic power is shifting.
My own university was the locus of one set of these scandals.
According to the authors, in this reinvented state, suburbs have replaced
  cities as the major locus of economic activity.
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriHome Advisor
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
About PRIVACY POLICY Terms API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Suggest a Word Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT