focus

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Optics, Physics

fo·cus1 /ˈfəʊkəs $ ˈfoʊ-/ ●●○ S3 W2 AWL verb (focused or focussed, focusing or focussing)  1  give attention to STH 给予某物关注 [intransitive, transitive]ATTENTION to give special attention to one particular person or thing, or to make people do this （把…）集中（于） SYN concentratefocus on He needs to focus more on his career. 他需要更加关注自己的事业。focus your attention/mind/efforts on something She tried to focus her mind on her work. 她试图集中精神干活。focus (somebody’s) mind/attention (on something) (=make people give their attention to something) 集中（某人的）注意力（于某物上） We need to focus public attention on this issue. 我们需要把公众的注意力集中到这个问题上来。n GrammarYou say: We focused on two main issues. ✗Don’t say: We focused in two main issues.2  camera/telescope 相机/望远镜 [intransitive, transitive]HPO to point a camera or telescope at something, and change the controls slightly so that you can see that thing clearly 〔对准某物〕调焦，调节（…的）焦距focus on She turned the camera and focussed on Martin’s face. 她转过镜头，对准马丁的脸。focus something on something He focused his binoculars on the building opposite. 他把双筒望远镜对准对面的建筑物。3  eyes 眼睛 [intransitive, transitive]HPOHBA if your eyes focus, or if you focus your eyes, you look at something and can see it clearly （使） 对准，（使）聚焦focus on All eyes focussed on her. 所有的眼睛都盯着她。 His eyes were focussed straight ahead. 他的双眼盯着正前方。4. light 光 [transitive]HPO if you focus beams of light, you aim them onto a particular place 使聚焦，使集中→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

focus• It took a long time to focus and get rid of the swimming water.• Any work undertaken on an individual basis should always focus attention on the broader social context in which the individual lives.• By which is meant that they have developed their ability to focus both senses and mind upon a thought process.• He stared out the window for a moment, trying to focus his thoughts.• It warns policymakers not to get tangled up with averages but to focus instead on increments.• The companies Uunet and Digex, for example, have dropped consumers to focus on business markets.• At least, he said, he could focus on his other math class.• Research will focus on the people living in the estates in east Middlesbrough.• In the way that you use a camera, you can focus your mind either on positive or negative factors.focus (somebody’s) mind/attention (on something)• Eating behaviour is disturbed and must be the focus of explicit attention.• It is as if within the wider panorama particular topics become a focus of especial attention.• The truth was that by 1988 the television audience had entirely replaced the convention delegates as the focus of attention.• In the way that you use a camera, you can focus your mind either on positive or negative factors.• I believe that the focus of attention is shifting from curriculum content to how best to teach science.• The firm eventually settled on a strategy of attempting to focus public attention on its superior sales staff and customer service.• These might well involve those selective-attention circuits passing through the left thalamus that focus attention on verbal information such as object names.• Where absenteeism does become a focus of management attention, there are very tangible improvements.focus2 ●●○ S3 W2 AWL noun  1  [singular]SUBJECT the thing, person, situation etc that people pay special attention to 焦点，重点 → focal The focus of recent research has been on environmental issues. 近期的研究重点是环境问题。focus of The war in Afghanistan had become the focus of media attention. 在阿富汗发生的战争已成为媒体关注的焦点。 The focus of interest in the series is what goes on in everyday life. 这部连续剧关注的焦点是日常的生活琐事。 Another focus of feminist debate has been the film industry. 女权主义辩论的另一个焦点是电影业。 I shall now turn to the main focus of this essay. 现在我来讲讲这篇文章的要点。 Eggs became the focus for the food poisoning scare. 鸡蛋成了食物中毒恐慌的焦点。 The focus of the conference shifted from population growth to the education of women. 会议的重点由人口增长问题转移到了妇女教育问题。2  [uncountable]ESPECIALLY if your focus is on something, that is the thing you are giving most attention to 〔注意力的〕集中点，中心点focus on Our main focus is on helping people get back into work. 我们关注的重点是帮助人们再就业。 a shift of focus 重心的转移3  come into focus/bring something into focus if something comes into focus, or you bring it into focus, people start to talk about it and pay attention to it 成为焦点/使某事成为焦点 These issues have recently come into sharp focus (=people have started to talk about them a lot). 这些问题近来已成了热门的焦点。4. in focus/out of focus HPOif a photograph or an instrument such as a camera is in focus, you can see the picture clearly. If it is out of focus, you cannot see the picture clearly. 〔照片、相机等〕焦点对准/没有对准，对焦/失焦5  [uncountable] the clearness of the picture seen through an instrument such as a camera 〔相机等成像的〕清晰度，焦点 He raised his binoculars and adjusted the focus. 他举起双筒望远镜，调整焦距。n COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2adjectivesthe main focusThe main focus of our attention will be on providing an efficient service.the central focus (=most important)The film’s central focus is the relationship between the two women.the primary focus (=main or most important)The economic situation is likely to be the primary focus of the discussion.verbsbecome the focusWhen you give a talk you become the focus of attention.provide a focusThe church provided a focus for the community.change the focus He changed the focus from general to specific issues.shift the focus (=move it to something else)Opposition MPs accused the prime minister of trying to shift the focus onto other issues.the focus changes/shiftsThe focus of the negotiations shifted to working conditions.phrasesthe focus is on somethingThe focus is now on improving students’ communication skills.the focus of attentionIn this section of the talk the focus of attention will be on statistics.a focus of interestAnimal behaviour has long been a focus of interest for scientists.the focus of debate (=the thing which people are discussing)The strike became the focus of debate in the media.the focus of concern (=the thing which people are worried about)The spread of the disease has become the main focus of concern.a change/shift in focusOver the years, there has been a change of focus from treatment to prevention.

Examples from the Corpus

focus• The science needed a change of direction, a new focus.• Our focus, they say, should henceforth be directed to the secondary years.• And this, too, was a consequence of sheer experience and of the pedagogical focus.• The play made David and his anguish the primary focus.• The powers that be were not interested in continuing that serious focus on the black experience.• The organization has a simple focus - keeping kids in school.• Three of the company of eight are in wheelchairs - but the focus is always on dance, not disability.• Just for once, let's keep the focus on it.• The focus of the drama shifts to discovering the dangers, and weighing up pros and cons of using the magic carpet.became the focus for• The symbolic resonance of the work altered as the killings at Kent State became the focus for anti-war activism.shift of focus• A deliberate shift of focus for health promotion could encourage people in their 20s to give up smoking.• Concern about death and the circumstances in which it will occur increases the shift of focus to security goals.From Longman Business Dictionaryfocusfo‧cus /ˈfəʊkəsˈfoʊ-/ noun [uncountable]MARKETING when a company tries to serve particular groups of customers in a market with particular needs, rather than trying to serve the whole market —focuser noun [countable]The focuser seeks to achieve a competitive advantage in its target segments even though it does not possess a competitive advantage overall.Origin focus1 (1600-1700) Latin “hearth (= place for a fire in a house)”

fo·cus1 verb →n GRAMMAR1focus2 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

or special to to one Business give attention particular person Corpus

focus

I

fo‧cus¹ S3 W2 AC /ˈfəʊkəs $ ˈfoʊ-/ verb (past tense and past participle focused or focussed, present participle focusing or focussing)1.  GIVE ATTENTION TO SOMETHING  [intransitive and transitive] to give special attention to one particular person or thing, or to make people do this
   SYN  concentrate
    focus on
    He needs to focus more on his career.
    focus your attention/mind/efforts on something
    She tried to focus her mind on her work.
    focus (sb’s) mind/attention (on something) (=make people give their attention to something)
    We need to focus public attention on this issue.
2.  CAMERA/TELESCOPE  [intransitive and transitive] to point a camera or telescope at something, and change the controls slightly so that you can see that thing clearly
    focus on
    She turned the camera and focussed on Martin’s face.
    focus something on something
    He focused his binoculars on the building opposite.
3.  EYES  [intransitive and transitive] if your eyes focus, or if you focus your eyes, you look at something and can see it clearly
    focus on
    All eyes focussed on her.
    His eyes were focussed straight ahead.
4.  LIGHT  [transitive] if you focus beams of light, you aim them onto a particular place

II

focus² S3 W2 AC noun
1. [singular] the thing, person, situation etc that people pay special attention to ⇨ focal:
    The focus of recent research has been on environmental issues.
    focus of
    The war in Afghanistan had become the focus of media attention.
    The focus of interest in the series is what goes on in everyday life.
    Another focus of feminist debate has been the film industry.
    I shall now turn to the main focus of this essay.
    Eggs became the focus for the food poisoning scare.
    The focus of the conference shifted from population growth to the education of women.
2. [uncountable] if your focus is on something, that is the thing you are giving most attention to
    focus on
    Our main focus is on helping people get back into work.
    a shift of focus
3. come into focus/bring something into focus if something comes into focus, or you bring it into focus, people start to talk about it and pay attention to it:
    These issues have recently come into sharp focus (=people have started to talk about them a lot).
4. in focus/out of focus if a photograph or an instrument such as a camera is in focus, you can see the picture clearly. If it is out of focus, you cannot see the picture clearly.
5. [uncountable] the clearness of the picture seen through an instrument such as a camera:
    He raised his binoculars and adjusted the focus.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meanings 1 & 2)

■ adjectives
   ▪ the main focus The main focus of our attention will be on providing an efficient service.
   ▪ the central focus (=most important) The film’s central focus is the relationship between the two women.
   ▪ the primary focus (=main or most important) The economic situation is likely to be the primary focus of the discussion.
■ verbs
   ▪ become the focus When you give a talk you become the focus of attention.
   ▪ provide a focus The church provided a focus for the community.
   ▪ change the focus He changed the focus from general to specific issues.
   ▪ shift the focus (=move it to something else) Opposition MPs accused the Prime Minister of trying to shift the focus onto other issues.
   ▪ the focus changes/shifts The focus of the negotiations shifted to working conditions.
■ phrases
   ▪ the focus is on something The focus is now on improving students’ communication skills.
   ▪ the focus of attention In this section of the talk the focus of attention will be on statistics.
   ▪ a focus of interest Animal behaviour has long been a focus of interest for scientists.
   ▪ the focus of debate (=the thing which people are discussing) The strike became the focus of debate in the media.
   ▪ the focus of concern (=the thing which people are worried about) The spread of the disease has become the main focus of concern.
   ▪ a change/shift in focus Over the years, there has been a change of focus from treatment to prevention.