locus
|lo-cus|
🇺🇸
/ˈloʊkəs/
🇬🇧
/ˈləʊkəs/
specific place / point (center or position)
Etymology
'locus' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'locus', where the root meant 'place' or 'site'.
'locus' was used in Classical Latin, continued in Medieval and New Latin, and was adopted into English (learned/technical use) retaining the Latin form; modern English kept the same basic form and senses.
Initially it meant 'place' or 'site' in general; over time it retained that basic sense but developed specialized technical meanings in fields such as mathematics and genetics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a particular place, position, or point where something occurs or is situated; a center or focus of activity.
The old harbor was once a locus of trade.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a fixed position on a chromosome where a particular gene or genetic marker is located (genetics).
The gene's locus was mapped to chromosome 7.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/10 11:48