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locus

[ loh-kuhs ]
/ ˈloʊ kəs /
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See synonyms for: locus / loci on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural lo·ci [loh-sahy, -kee, -kahy], /ˈloʊ saɪ, -ki, -kaɪ/, lo·ca [loh-kuh]. /ˈloʊ kə/.
a place; locality.
a center or source, as of activities or power: locus of control.
Mathematics. the set of all points, lines, or surfaces that satisfy a given requirement.
Genetics. the chromosomal position of a gene as determined by its linear order relative to the other genes on that chromosome.
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Origin of locus

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin; Old Latin stlocus “a place”

Words nearby locus

loculation, locule, loculicidal, loculus, locum tenens, locus, locus classicus, locus in quo, locus of control, locus sigilli, locus standi
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to locus

arrangement, attitude, ballgame, bearing, carriage, circumstances, condition, deportment, disposition, emplacement, form, habit, location, manner, mien, pass, placement, plight, port, pose

How to use locus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for locus

locus
/ (ˈləʊkəs) /
noun plural loci (ˈləʊsaɪ)
(in many legal phrases) a place or area, esp the place where something occurred
maths a set of points whose location satisfies or is determined by one or more specified conditionsthe locus of points equidistant from a given point is a circle
genetics the position of a particular gene on a chromosome

Word Origin for locus

C18: Latin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for locus

locus
[ lō′kəs ]
n. pl. lo•ci (-sī′, -kē, -kī′)
A place; site.
The position that a given gene occupies on a chromosome.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for locus

locus
[ lō′kəs ]
Plural loci (lō′sī′, -kē, -kī′)
The set or configuration of all points whose coordinates satisfy a single equation or one or more algebraic conditions.
The position that a given gene occupies on a chromosome.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for locus

locus

plur. loci (loh-seye, loh-keye)

In geometry, the set of all points (and only those points) that satisfy certain conditions; these points form a curve or figure. For example, the locus of all points in space one foot from a given point is a sphere having a radius of one foot and having its center at the given point. The locus of all points in a plane one foot from a given point is a circle having a radius of one foot and having its center at the given point.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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