# epicentre

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛpɪˌsɛntɚ/ · frequency rank #56,731

## Definitions
1. The point on the land or water surface directly above the focus, or hypocentre, of an earthquake.
2. The point on the surface of the earth directly above an underground explosion.
3. The focal point of any activity, especially if dangerous or destructive.
4. The geographical area in which an ongoing disaster, illness, crisis, or other destructive event is currently most severe.

## Etymology
From epi- (“over, on top”) + centre, from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “centre”).
Sense of “center of an activity (particularly a disaster)” (1908) by generalization from earthquakes, possibly influenced by epidemic.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/epicentre