epicenter
[ ep-uh-sen-ter ]
/ ˈɛp əˌsɛn tər /
noun
Also epicentrum. Geology. a point, directly above the true center of disturbance, from which the shock waves of an earthquake apparently radiate.
a focal point, as of activity: Manhattan's Chinatown is the epicenter of the city's Chinese community.
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anchorite
Also especially British, ep·i·cen·tre.
Origin of epicenter
OTHER WORDS FROM epicenter
ep·i·cen·tral, adjectiveWords nearby epicenter
epicardium, epicarp, epicaste, epicedium, epicene, epicenter, epicentre, epicentrum, epichlorohydrin, epicist, epiclesis
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for epicenter
Scientific definitions for epicenter
epicenter
[ ĕp′ĭ-sĕn′tər ]
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. See Note at earthquake.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.