locus

1 a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest an area of the Southwest that has been the locus of a number of New Agey movements Synonyms axis, base, capital, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, center, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seatRelated 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

2 the area or space occupied by or intended for something the locus of brightness occurs where the rays of sunlight converge in front of the lens Synonyms emplacement, locale, locality, location, place, point, position, site, spot, venue, whereRelated Words scene; precinct, region, section, sector; here, there