locus
Americannoun
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a place; locality.
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a center or source, as of activities or power.
locus of control.
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Mathematics. the set of all points, lines, or surfaces that satisfy a given requirement.
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Genetics. the chromosomal position of a gene as determined by its linear order relative to the other genes on that chromosome.
noun
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(in many legal phrases) a place or area, esp the place where something occurred
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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
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genetics the position of a particular gene on a chromosome
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The set or configuration of all points whose coordinates satisfy a single equation or one or more algebraic conditions.
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The position that a given gene occupies on a chromosome.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of locus
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin; Old Latin stlocus “a place”
Explanation
The center or source of something is known as the locus. A shopping mall is usually a locus for teenagers. In addition to being a hub or hotspot, locus has specific meanings when used in math or science. In math, a locus is when a set of points all meet at a designated location: a circle is the locus of points equal in length from one given point. In genetics, the locus is the location of a certain gene on a chromosome. A locus is where things are happening. Washington, D.C. is the locus for politics in the U.S.
Vocabulary lists containing locus
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The World Is Flat
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tucked away in a quiet industrial park, the nondescript building had become the locus of ongoing protests since Bovino and his forces had arrived in Illinois.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026
As sleep continues, growth hormone gradually builds up and stimulates the locus coeruleus, nudging the brain toward waking.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
But in-home care was a locus of one alleged Minnesota fraud scheme.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
The barber chair, the locus of Sweeney’s revenge on the heartless cruelty of a Victorian London that wrecked his life, isn’t the elaborate contraption of other productions.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
I wandered more north than west, justifying my course by a curiosity to see the Sinoth Valley region, the locus of the rivalry between Karhide and Orgoreyn.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
