epicenter
Americannoun
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Geology. Also a point, directly above the true center of disturbance, from which the shock waves of an earthquake apparently radiate.
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a focal point, as of activity.
Manhattan's Chinatown is the epicenter of the city's Chinese community.
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The point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the focus (the point of origin) of an earthquake. The epicenter is usually the location where the greatest damage associated with an earthquake occurs.
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See Note at earthquake
Other Word Forms
- epicentral adjective
Etymology
Origin of epicenter
1885–90; < New Latin epicentrum < Greek epíkentros on the center. See epi-, center
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fictional London investment bank was the epicenter of the show’s universe, the place where deals were made and trust was broken.
From Salon
She had emigrated from Tehran 10 years ago and brought her husband, infant son and mother to celebrate in Westwood, the epicenter of L.A.’s sprawling Iranian diaspora.
From Los Angeles Times
“As the epicenter of the entertainment industry, California has a special interest in protecting competition,” he posted Friday on X.
From Los Angeles Times
“We live in a relatively divided world, but sports brings everyone together — and we sit at the epicenter of a lot of things in sports,” Rubin told The Times.
From Los Angeles Times
The intersection of Florence and Normandie avenues was the epicenter of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
