epicenter

epi·cen·ter

noun \ˈe-pi-ˌsen-tər\

Definition of EPICENTER

1

: the part of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake — compare hypocenter 1

2

: center 2a, b, c <the epicenter of world finance>

— epi·cen·tral \ˌe-pi-ˈsen-trəl\ adjective

Examples of EPICENTER

1. <by continually reinventing itself, Las Vegas has managed to remain a national epicenter for entertainment>

Origin of EPICENTER

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use: 1887

Related to EPICENTER

Synonyms

axis, base, capital, central, core, cynosure, center, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat

Related Words

headquarters; happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland; kernel, nub, pith; deep, thick; essence, quintessence, soul; attraction, lodestone (also loadstone), magnet, polestar

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

Rhymes with EPICENTER

documenter, front and center, hypocenter, metacenter, multicenter, profit center, representer, shopping center, supplementer, trauma center