Definition of locus
loci
play \ˈlō-ˌsī, -ˌkī, -ˌkē\1a : the place where something is situated or occurs : site, location was the culture of medicine in the beginning dispersed from a single focus or did it arise in several loci? — S. C. Harveyb : a center of activity, attention, or concentration in democracy the locus of power is in the people — H. G. Rickover
2 : the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions
3 : the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele
From the M-W Editors
Examples of locus in a Sentence
The area became a locus of resistance to the government.
an area of the Southwest that has been the locus of a number of New Agey movements
Recent Examples of locus from the Web
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The Vision Festival, New York’s annual gathering of the improvising avant-garde, is a locus for some of the country’s most unbounded musicians.
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The most overhyped of these studies and stories suggest that in some busy brain area lies the locus of love, the center of empathy, or the key to fear of the new — as if a trinket dropped by Caesar along some road reveals the dynamics of Rome.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'locus'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of locus
Latin — more at stall
First Known Use: 1648
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
LOCUS Defined for English Language Learners
locus
playDefinition of locus for English Language Learners
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: a central or main place where something happens or is found
Medical Dictionary
locus
playMedical Definition of locus
loci
\ˈlō-ˌsī, -ˌkī also -ˌkē\play play play1: a place or site of an event, activity, or thing the integrity of the tissues determines the extent and locus of the damage—Sylvia E. Hines
2: the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele
Law Dictionary
locus
playLegal Definition of locus
: the place connected with a particular event having legal significance
Learn More about locus
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See words that rhyme with locus Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for locus Nglish: Translation of locus for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of locus for Arabic speakers
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