epicenter

American  

[ep-uh-sen-ter] / ˈɛp əˌsɛn tər /

especially British, epicentre

noun

1. Geology. Also a point, directly above the true center of disturbance, from which the shock waves of an earthquake apparently radiate.

2. a focal point, as of activity.

   Manhattan's Chinatown is the epicenter of the city's Chinese community.

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epicenter Scientific  

/ ĕp′ĭ-sĕn′tər /

1. The point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the focus (the point of origin) of an earthquake. The epicenter is usually the location where the greatest damage associated with an earthquake occurs.

2. See Note at earthquake

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Other Word Forms

• epicentral adjective

Etymology

Origin of epicenter

1885–90; < New Latin epicentrum < Greek epíkentros on the center. See epi-, center

Compare meaning

How does epicenter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypocenter vs. epicenter

Example Sentences

“This makes Santa Maria the epicenter of what we have been seeing over the holiday break,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

At the same time, Rothman was bringing in the biggest names in pop music—from Prince to Queen—and helped turn the arena into an epicenter of entertainment, sports and culture.

From The Wall Street Journal

Moderate shaking was reported near the quake’s epicenter, with light shaking reported as far east as Redding, north into Klamath Falls, Ore., and as far south as Sacramento, according to the USGS.

From Los Angeles Times

A magnitude 6.1 Joshua Tree temblor on April 22 of that year made scientists nervous because its epicenter was only about 6 miles away from the San Andreas fault.

From Los Angeles Times

This year’s conference was attended by more than 24,000 people, who invaded San Diego earlier this month and made it the epicenter of the tech world.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• command post
• focal point
• headquarters
• hotbed