locus

American  

[loh-kuhs] / ˈloʊ kəs /

noun

plural

loci, loca

1. a place; locality.

2. a center or source, as of activities or power.

   locus of control.

3. Mathematics. the set of all points, lines, or surfaces that satisfy a given requirement.

4. 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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locus British  

/ ˈləʊkəs /

noun

1. (in many legal phrases) a place or area, esp the place where something occurred

2. maths a set of points whose location satisfies or is determined by one or more specified conditions

   the locus of points equidistant from a given point is a circle

3. genetics the position of a particular gene on a chromosome

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locus Scientific  

/ lō′kəs /

plural

loci

1. The set or configuration of all points whose coordinates satisfy a single equation or one or more algebraic conditions.

2. The position that a given gene occupies on a chromosome.

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locus Cultural  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of locus

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

Explanation

The center or source of something is known as the locus. A shopping mall is usually a locus for teenagers. In addition to being a hub or hotspot, locus has specific meanings when used in math or science. In math, a locus is when a set of points all meet at a designated location: a circle is the locus of points equal in length from one given point. In genetics, the locus is the location of a certain gene on a chromosome. A locus is where things are happening. Washington, D.C. is the locus for politics in the U.S.

Example Sentences

Tucked away in a quiet industrial park, the nondescript building had become the locus of ongoing protests since Bovino and his forces had arrived in Illinois.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

The locus coeruleus, found in the brainstem, helps regulate this process through long nerve fibers that extend to the olfactory bulb.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

The theater’s importance as a locus of intelligent inquiry and intellectual ferment—not momentous, alas—owes a great debt to his influence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

One of the factories the companies built in Hemlock in the 1960s has become the locus of Corning’s solar and semiconductor business.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

I wandered more north than west, justifying my course by a curiosity to see the Sinoth Valley region, the locus of the rivalry between Karhide and Orgoreyn.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin