Spanish Conversation · Level 167
15 words
Spanish word
epicentro
Pronunciation
IPA/epiˈθentɾo/
Meaning
- masculine nounepicenter
Example
El epicentro del terremoto estuvo cerca de la costa.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near the coast.
More examples
La manifestación convirtió al barrio en el epicentro de las protestas.
The demonstration turned the neighborhood into the epicenter of the protests.
Core concept
Surface point directly above an earthquake's underground focus.
Common phrases
epicentro del terremoto
earthquake epicenter
epicentro de la protesta
epicenter of the protest
epicentro urbano
urban epicenter
Similar words
hipocentro: Underground origin point where the earthquake rupture begins.
foco: Spot in the earth where accumulated stress breaks and energy is emitted as seismic waves.
centro: Place at the heart of an event or activity around which things are organized.
Definition in Spanish
Punto de la superficie terrestre que se encuentra verticalmente sobre el hipocentro de un sismo y donde suele notarse con más fuerza el temblor.
Word origin
Comes from Greek epikentron (epi 'upon' + kentron 'center') and enters Spanish through scientific usage to name the surface point above an earthquake's hypocenter.
Usage tips
- News reports often list the epicentro as a location distinct from the towns that report heavy damage, because local geology and distance affect shaking intensity.
Other meanings
- focusnoun
Opposites
- periferiaperipherynoun