focus
focus
(foʊkəs )Word forms: plural foci (foʊsaɪ ), plural, 3rd person singular present tense focuses , present participle focusing , past tense, past participle focused language note: The spellings focusses, focussing, focussed are also used. The plural of the noun can be either foci or focuses.
1. verb
If you focus on a particular topic or if your attention is focused on it, you concentrate on it and think about it, discuss it, or deal with it, rather than dealing with other topics.
The research effort has focused on tracing the effects of growing levels of five compounds. [VERB on noun]
He is currently focusing on assessment and development. [VERB + on]
Today he was able to focus his message exclusively on the economy. [VERB noun on noun]
Many of the papers focus their attention on the controversy surrounding the Foreign Secretary. [VERB noun + on]
2. countable noun [usually singular]
The focus of something is the main topic or main thing that it is concerned with.
The U.N.'s role in promoting peace is increasingly the focus of international attention.
The new system is the focus of controversy. [+ of]
Her children are the main focus of her life. [+ of]
3. countable noun [usually singular]
Your focus on something is the special attention that you pay it.
He said his sudden focus on foreign policy was not motivated by presidential politics.
The report's focus is on how technology affects human life rather than business.
IBM has also shifted its focus from mainframes to personal computers.
4. uncountable noun
5. verb
If you focus your eyes or if your eyes focus, your eyes adjust so that you can clearly see the thing that you want to look at. If you focus a camera, telescope, or other instrument, you adjust it so that you can see clearly through it.
Kelly couldn't focus his eyes well enough to tell if the figure was male or female. [VERB noun]
His eyes slowly began to focus on what looked like a small dark ball. [VERB + on]
He found the binoculars and focused them on the boat. [VERB noun + on]
Had she kept the camera focused on the river bank she might have captured a vital scene. [VERB-ed]
[Also VERB]6. uncountable noun
7. verb
8. countable noun
The focus of a number of rays or lines is the point at which they meet.
[technical]9.
10.
11.
12.
