focal point
- noun
- /ˈfoʊkəl pɔɪnt/
- Specialized
:
foco
- The CDC has identified the contaminated water supply as a significant focal point for the outbreak of disease.
Examples
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Proper sanitation measures are crucial to eliminate any focal points of infection that may exist in the hospital.
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After the surgery, the focal point of infection was thoroughly cleaned to prevent recurrence.
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Researchers are working to contain the focal point before the disease spreads.
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The doctor identified the focal point of the infection in the patient's left lung.
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In the study, the focal point of infection was identified.
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In biology, the focal point of infection is crucial.
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In the latest research, the bacteria found in the infected tissue were described as a major focal point of the infection.
Synonyms
282
1.0
The most important part or person that gets most attention
68
5.1
The central point where light rays meet
1
9.9
A place in the body where an infection starts
A place in the body where an infection begins or is mainly found
How Localized
- Specialized
23
7.5
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
6.3
- Specialized
31
4.5
- Specialized
70
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase combines 'focal' (relating to a focus or center) with 'point' (a specific position), so the meaning of a location where rays meet or a center of attention is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and applies to both the literal optical sense and the figurative sense, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely understand it.
Etymology
Focal point was used in medicine to mean the one place where an illness begins. Doctors thought of it like the small point where a fire starts, so it now means the 'central' area or source of an infection.