English
focus
Etymology

Kepler introduced the term into mathematics and the sciences in describing elliptical orbits of planets (quote from Nicholas Mee) :

"One of the interesting properties of an ellipse is that if there were a light bulb at one focus, then all the light that it emits would reflect off the ellipse and converge at the other focus. This is why Kepler originally used the name focus for these points."

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈfəʊ.kəs/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈfoʊ.kəs/
Noun

focus

  1. (countable, optics) A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.
    Synonyms: focal point
    The heat of sunlight at the focus of a magnifying glass can easily set dry leaves on fire.
  2. (countable, geometry) A point of a conic at which rays reflected from a curve or surface converge.
  3. (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The fact of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
    Unfortunately, the license plate is out of focus in this image.
  4. (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
    During this scene, the boy’s face shifts subtly from soft focus into sharp focus.
  5. (uncountable) Concentration of attention.
    I believe I can bring the high degree of focus required for this important job.
  6. (countable) Something to which activity, attention or interest is primarily directed.
    Synonyms: focal point
    My studies are my main focus right now.
  7. (countable, seismology) The exact point of where an earthquake occurs, in three dimensions (underneath the epicentre).
    The earthquake's focus was at exactly 37 degrees north, 18 degrees south, seventy five meters below the ground.
  8. (GUI) The status of being the currently active element in a user interface, often indicated by a visual highlight.
    Text entered at the keyboard or pasted from a clipboard is sent to the component which currently has the focus.
  9. (linguistics) The most important word or phrase in a sentence or passage, or the one that imparts information.
  10. An object used in casting a magic spell.
    • 2004, Marian Singer, Trish MacGregor, The Only Wiccan Spell Book You'll Ever Need:
      Candles, in fact, are an essential ingredient in many spells. They can be used as either the focus of the spell or as a component that sets the spell's overall mood and tone.
    • 2014, Kristen S. Walker, Witch Gate, page 180:
      I ran through what I knew about spells from Mom and other witchcraft sources, but nothing matched what I was used to seeing in her magic work. Usually she used herbs and other plants as a focus for the spell.
Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • German: Fokus
  • Portuguese: foco
  • Russian: наводка на резкость
  • Spanish: enfoque
Translations Verb

focus (focuses, present participle focusing; simple past and past participle focused)

  1. (transitive) To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.
  2. (transitive, optics) To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
    You'll need to focus the microscope carefully in order to capture the full detail of this surface.
  3. (intransitive, optics, of a lens, optical instrument, etc.) To adjust itself or be adjusted such that light from a scene converges appropriately to create a clear image.
    I can't get the lens to focus.
    The camera focuses automatically on the subject's eyes.
  4. (transitive) To direct attention, effort, or energy to a particular audience or task.
    The president focused her remarks on the newcomers.
  5. (intransitive) To concentrate one’s attention.
    If you're going to beat your competitors, you need to focus.
  6. (intransitive, followed by on or upon) To concentrate one's attention on something; to have as one's central point of interest, concern, etc.
    I have to focus on my work.
  7. (computing, GUI, transitive) To transfer the input focus to (a visual element), so that it receives subsequent input.
    The text box won't receive the user's keystrokes unless you explicitly focus it.
  8. (accounting, formerly) To aggregate figures of accounts.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations

This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002
Offline English dictionary