French word

épicentre

Pronunciation

IPA/episɑ̃tʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounepicenter

Example

Les secours se sont rassemblés autour de l'épicentre.

Rescue workers gathered around the epicenter.

Illustration for épicentre (epicenter)

More examples

La ville la plus proche de l'épicentre a subi de lourds dégâts.

The city closest to the epicenter suffered heavy damage.

Core concept

A surface marker aligned with a hidden source below, or the central point of an influence.

Common phrases

  • l'épicentre du séisme

    the epicenter of the earthquake

  • proche de l'épicentre

    near the epicenter

Similar words

foyer: The underground point where an earthquake's vibrations begin.
point: A specific point marking a location or place.
centre: The central position within something.

Definition in French

Emplacement précis de la surface terrestre situé au-dessus du foyer d'un tremblement de terre ; par extension, centre d'où partent ou convergent des influences ou des activités.

Word origin

The word combines Greek epi, 'on' or 'above', with kentron, 'center', in a scientific formation adopted by French.

Usage tips

  • In earthquake contexts, foyer names the underground origin while épicentre names the corresponding surface point.

Opposites

Word lists with this word