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Focus vs Attent - What's the difference?

focus | attent |

As a noun focus

is (countable|optics) a point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.

As a verb focus

is to cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.

As an adjective attent is

(archaic) attentive, heedful; intent.

focus

English

(wikipedia focus)

Noun

  • (countable, optics) A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.
  • (countable, geometry) A point of a conic at which rays reflected from a curve or surface converge.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The fact of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Catherine Clabby
    • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Focus on Everything , passage=Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus'.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • (uncountable) Concentration of attention.
  • (countable, seismology) The exact point of where an earthquake occurs, in three dimensions.
  • (computing, graphical user interface) The indicator of the currently active element in a user interface.
  • (linguistics) The most important word or phrase in a sentence or passage, or the one that imparts information.

    • Verb

  • To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.
  • To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
    • You'll need to focus the microscope carefully in order to capture the full detail of this surface.
  • To concentrate one's attention.
    • Focus on passing the test.
  • To concentrate one’s attention.
    • If you're going to beat your competitors, you need to focus .

    Usage notes

    The spellings focusses'', ''focussing'', ''focussed'' are more common in Commonwealth English than in American English, but in both varieties they are less common than the spellings ''focuses'', ''focusing'', ''focused .

    Derived terms

    * focus group * in focus * out of focus

    Related terms

    * focal

    attent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (archaic) Attentive, heedful; intent.
  • *1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , VI.9:
  • *:Whylest thus he talkt, the knight with greedy eare / Hong still upon his melting mouth attent […].
  • * Bible, 2 Chron. vi 40
    • Let thine ears be attent unto the prayer.
  • * 1874 , , XIV
    • All patiently awaited the event
    Without a stir or sound, as if no less
    Self-occupied, doomstricken while attent .
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