focus

 
Pronunciation: /ˈfəʊkəs/

noun (plural focuses or foci /ˈfəʊsʌɪ/)

  • 1the centre of interest or activity: this generation has made the environment a focus of attention
  • an act of concentrating interest or activity on something: our focus on the customer’s requirements
  • Geology the point of origin of an earthquake. Compare with epicentre
  • Medicine the principal site of an infection or other disease.
  • 2 [mass noun] the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition: his face is rather out of focus figurative the incident brought her feelings for Alexander sharply into focus
  • another term for focal point
  • [count noun] the point at which an object must be situated with respect to a lens or mirror for an image of it to be well defined.
  • [count noun] a device on a lens which can be adjusted to produce a clear image.
  • 3 Geometry one of the fixed points from which the distances to any point of a given curve, such as an ellipse or parabola, are connected by a linear relation.
  • 4 Linguistics an element of a sentence that is given prominence by intonational or other means.

verb (focuses, focusing, focused or focusses, focussing, focussed)

[no object]
  • 1adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly: try to focus on a stationary object
  • [with object] cause (one’s eyes) to focus: she focused her eyes on his face
  • [with object] adjust the focus of (a telescope, camera, or other instrument): they were focusing a telescope on a star
  • (of rays or waves) meet at a single point.
  • [with object] (of a lens) make (rays or waves) meet at a single point.
  • [no object] (of light, radio waves, or other energy) become concentrated into a sharp beam.
  • [with object] (of a lens) concentrate (light, radio waves, or energy) into a sharp beam.
  • 2 (focus on) pay particular attention to: the study will focus on a number of areas in Wales
  • [with object] concentrate: an opportunity to focus research on the health needs of the population
  • [with object] Linguistics place the focus on (an element of a sentence).

Derivatives

focuser

noun

Origin:

mid 17th century (as a term in geometry and physics): from Latin, literally 'domestic hearth'

Grammar

Some adverbials are used to focus attention on one part of a sentence: Paul regularly runs out of the nursery to play ball in a busy street; he has also run home by himself and was nearly hit by a lorry. The writer is adding to the dangerous things that Paul has done, and the adverb also helps focus our attention. If we remove the word, the sentence is much weaker: Paul regularly runs out of the nursery to play ball in a busy street; he has run home by himself and was nearly hit by a lorry. Other examples of sentences with focusing adverbials are: Utah, in particular, needs all the new employers it can find. Only the flowers in the vase on the table in front of me seemed real.

Spelling help

The different forms of the verb can be spelled with either a single or a double s: (focuses, focusing, focused or focusses, focussing, focussed).

Spelling help

The plural of the noun can be spelled either foci (as in the original Latin) or focuses.