Home Dictionary Llocus

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locus

[C] Countable

pl: loci

The word carries a clinical, precise, and intellectual weight. It is far more formal than "place" or "spot," suggesting not just a location, but a center of activity or a specific point of origin for a phenomenon. In general usage, it implies a focal point where various forces or events converge. While "center" describes the middle of something, "locus" often describes the site where a particular process is concentrated or triggered. In technical contexts—mathematics and genetics—it shifts from a figurative center to a rigorous geometric or biological coordinate. Here, it denotes an exact, verifiable position defined by specific rules or physical mapping.

💬Conversación Casual

🎬Tuesday afternoon; David is in a corporate meeting while Eleanor is at home looking through old photos.

Eleanor Smith

DAVID WHERE IS THE LOCUS OF YOUR NEW HOUSE ON THE MAP? I AM LOST.

David Smith

Mom, just use the pin I sent. You're totally tripping.

💡

Eleanor uses 'locus' in an overly formal or slightly misused way to ask for a specific location, reflecting her personality. David responds with the slang term 'tripping', meaning she is acting irrational or confused, highlighting their strained and generational gap.

Meanings

Noun

A particular position, point, or place where something is situated or occurs.

"The small village became the locus of the rebellion."

Noun

In mathematics, a set of points whose location is satisfied by one or more specified conditions.

"A circle is the locus of points equidistant from a fixed center."

Noun

In genetics, the specific physical location of a gene or other DNA sequence on a chromosome.

"The researchers identified the locus for the hereditary trait on chromosome 7."

Last Updated: May 26, 2026•Report an Error