locus
[ loh-kuhs ]
/ ˈloʊ kəs /
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for locus
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.