| Library / English Dictionary |
FOCAL POINT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The concentration of attention or energy on something
Example:
he had no direction in his life
Synonyms:
centering; direction; focal point; focus; focusing; focussing
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("focal point" is a kind of...):
absorption; concentration; engrossment; immersion (complete attention; intense mental effort)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "focal point"):
particularism (a focus on something particular)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A point of convergence of light (or other radiation) or a point from which it diverges
Synonyms:
focal point; focus
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("focal point" is a kind of...):
point (the precise location of something; a spatially limited location)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A central point or locus of an infection in an organism
Example:
the focus of infection
Synonyms:
focal point; focus; nidus
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("focal point" is a kind of...):
point (the precise location of something; a spatially limited location)
Holonyms ("focal point" is a part of...):
focal infection (bacterial infection limited to a specific organ or region especially one causing symptoms elsewhere)
