word-vault

{ "term": "focus", "partOfSpeech": "verb", "academic": true, "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a2", "verbForms": { "presentSimple": { "iYouWeThey": "focus", "heSheIt": "focuses" }, "pastSimple": "focused", "pastParticiple": "focused", "ingForm": "focusing" }, "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to give attention, effort, etc. to one particular subject, situation or person rather than another", "sensetop": "focus on/upon somebody/somethingfocus + adv./prep.focus somethingfocus something on/upon somebody/somethingfocus something + adv./prep.", "labels": "(figurative)(figurative)", "cefr": "a2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "She was distracted and finding it hard to focus." }, { "text": "The discussion **focused on** three main **issues**.", "contextForm": "focus on/upon somebody/something" }, { "text": "Each exercise focuses on a different grammar point." }, { "text": "He had artistic interests but his teachers encouraged him to focus elsewhere.", "contextForm": "focus + adv./prep." }, { "text": "The essay seems too **narrowly focused**." }, { "text": "Music and crafts can help **focus** small children's **energies**.", "contextForm": "focus something" }, { "text": "The visit helped to **focus** world **attention** on the plight of the refugees.", "contextForm": "focus something on/upon somebody/something" }, { "text": "All eyes are focused on the presidential elections at the moment." }, { "text": "The event will focus the spotlight on younger athletes." }, { "text": "We need to decide where to **focus** our **efforts**.", "contextForm": "focus something + adv./prep." }, { "text": "Come on, try to focus." }, { "text": "Children with ADHD find it difficult to focus and concentrate." }, { "text": "Degree courses have traditionally focused on the established great writers of the past." }, { "text": "They plan to divest declining businesses and focus on growth areas." }, { "text": "You might choose to focus on a particular aspect of the nineteenth century." }, { "text": "Meetings focused on the development of the curriculum." }, { "text": "He inevitably focused on his own concerns, with only a passing query about Jeff." }, { "text": "Much recent concern has been focused upon sea level rises." }, { "text": "The exhibition is focused primarily upon architecture." }, { "text": "The exhibition primarily focuses upon architecture." }, { "text": "Schools should not focus exclusively on exam results." }, { "text": "The department undertakes highly focused research." }, { "text": "The study was criticized for being too narrowly focused." }, { "text": "My own research is focused on classical traditions." }, { "text": "We have focused our resources on developing new products." }, { "text": "Think of some questions that will help focus the discussion." }, { "text": "This should help focus your attention." }, { "text": "I was finding it hard to focus my mind properly." }, { "text": "Perhaps your family is where you should focus your attention." }, { "text": "Where do you really wish to focus your time and energy?" }, { "text": "Much of the debate was focused around the issue of inequality." }, { "text": "He made a promise to his father and is determined to live his entire life focused towards that goal." }, { "text": "A hate crime is abuse focused towards a specific person or group on grounds of race, religion, etc." }, { "text": "You need to focus closely on the matter at hand." }, { "text": "At the moment, aid agencies are focusing their efforts on women and children." }, { "text": "The attention of the news media was firmly focused on the elections." }, { "text": "Our activity is mainly focused on responding to emergencies." } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["especially", "heavily", "largely"], "verb + focus": ["need to", "try to", "decide to"], "preposition": ["on", "upon"], "phrases": ["highly focused", "tightly focused", "narrowly focused"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to adapt or be changed so that things can be seen clearly; to change something so that you can see things clearly", "sensetop": "focus on somebody/somethingfocus somethingfocus something on somebody/somethingfocus something + adv./prep.", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "It took a few moments for her eyes to focus in the dark." }, { "text": "Let your eyes focus on objects that are further away from you.", "contextForm": "focus on somebody/something" }, { "text": "In this scene, the camera focuses on the actor's face." }, { "text": "‘Look at me,’ he says, focusing the camera.", "contextForm": "focus something" }, { "text": "He focused his blue eyes on her.", "contextForm": "focus something on somebody/something" }, { "text": "I quickly focused the camera on the children." }, { "text": "My gaze was focused elsewhere at the time.", "contextForm": "focus something + adv./prep." }, { "text": "She blinked and tried to focus." }, { "text": "The eye will automatically focus on the small group in the foreground." }, { "text": "She could feel his eyes focusing on her." }, { "text": "She could feel his eyes focused on her." }, { "text": "He struggled to focus his eyes in the dimness." }, { "text": "A newborn baby cannot focus its eyes." }, { "text": "My eyes are focused on the horizon." }, { "text": "Ten TV cameras were focused on the stage." }, { "text": "She likes to focus her camera on the unusual and the surreal." }, { "text": "So much of good film-making is just knowing where to focus your camera." } ], "collocations": { "adverb": ["hard", "intently", "automatically"], "verb + focus": ["try to"], "preposition": ["on", "upon"] } }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "to aim light onto a particular point using a lens", "sensetop": "focus somethingfocus something on something", "examples": [ { "text": "A laser focuses a beam of light.", "contextForm": "focus something" }, { "text": "She used her glasses to focus the sun's rays on the twigs and spark a fire.", "contextForm": "focus something on something" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "to shine on somebody/something", "sensetop": "focus on somebody/something", "examples": [ { "text": "Suddenly a spotlight focused on us." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəs/", "audio": "fo/focus/focus__gb_4.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəsɪz/", "audio": "fo/focus/focuses__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəst/", "audio": "fo/focus/focused__gb_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəsɪŋ/", "audio": "fo/focus/focusing__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəs/", "audio": "fo/focus/focus__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəsɪz/", "audio": "fo/focus/focuses__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəst/", "audio": "fo/focus/focused__us_1.mp3" }, { "pronunciation": "/ˈfəʊkəsɪŋ/", "audio": "fo/focus/focusing__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "mid 17th cent. (as a term in geometry and physics): from Latin, literally ‘domestic hearth’." }