focus
pronunciation
How to pronounce focus in British English:
UK [ˈfəʊkəs]
How to pronounce focus in American English:
US [ˈfoʊkəs]
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- Noun:
- the concentration of attention or energy on something
- maximum clarity or distinctness of an image rendered by an optical system
- maximum clarity or distinctness of an idea
- a central point or locus of an infection in an organism
- special emphasis attached to something
- a point of convergence of light (or other radiation) or a point from which it diverges
- a fixed reference point on the concave side of a conic section
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- Verb:
- direct one's attention on something
- cause to converge on or toward a central point
- bring into focus or alignment; to converge or cause to converge; of ideas or emotions
- become focussed or come into focus
- put (an image) into focus
Word Origin
- focus
- focus: [17] Latin focus meant ‘fireplace’, and in post-classical times it came to be used for ‘fire’ itself – hence French feu, Italian fuoco, Spanish fuego, all meaning ‘fire’, and hence too the English derivatives fuel and fusillade. The first writer known to have used it in its modern sense ‘point of convergence’ was the German astronomer Johannes Kepler, in 1604, but the reason for his choice of word is not clear.It may have been some metaphorical notion of the ‘hearth’ symbolizing the ‘centre of the home’, but it has also been suggested that it may have been preceded and inspired by the use of focus for the ‘burning point’ of a mirror (not actually recorded until somewhat later). The philosopher Thomas Hobbes appears to have introduced the term into English, in 1656. A medieval Latin derivative of focus was focārius, from which French got foyer ‘hearth, home’, borrowed by English in the 19th century for a public entrance hall or lobby.=> foyer, fuel, fusillade
- focus (n.)
- 1640s, "point of convergence," from Latin focus "hearth, fireplace" (also, figuratively, "home, family"), which is of unknown origin. Used in post-classical times for "fire" itself; taken by Kepler (1604) in a mathematical sense for "point of convergence," perhaps on analogy of the burning point of a lens (the purely optical sense of the word may have existed before Kepler, but it is not recorded). Introduced into English 1650s by Hobbes. Sense transfer to "center of activity or energy" is first recorded 1796.
- focus (v.)
- 1775 in optics, "bring into focus" (transitive); 1807 in the figurative sense, from focus (n.). Intransitive use by 1864, originally in photography. Related: Focused; focusing; less commonly focussed; focussing.
Synonym
Example
- 1. The current focus is communications and entertainment .
- 2. Much of china 's focus has been in resources .
- 3. But we 're getting the focus wrong .
- 4. This is where governments should focus their efforts .
- 5. Hence the focus on private equity .