BharatNotes Epicentre
noun/ˈɛp.ɪˌsɛn.tər/
The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus (hypocentre) of an earthquake, where seismic shaking is usually most intense and damage most severe.
Usage in a UPSC answer
The national capital became the epicentre of the anti-corruption agitation, with civil-society networks radiating mobilisation outward to district headquarters across the country.
Synonyms
focal pointnerve centrefocushearthubcore
Antonyms
peripherymarginfringeoutskirts
Word Family
epicentral (adj), epicenters (n pl), hypocentre (n)
Root
Modern Latin epicentrum (1879); Greek epí = upon, over; kéntron = centre
Etymology
From Modern Latin epicentrum (1879), from Greek epí (ἐπί, "upon, over") + kéntron (κέντρον, "centre"); first used in seismology in 1885.
Memory Hook
"epi-" (upon) + "centre" — the spot upon the surface right over an earthquake's centre; by extension, the centre of any upheaval.
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