hypocenter

hy·po·cen·ter
H4Y4P3O1C3E1N1T1E1R1

noun

The point on the surface below an atmospheric explosion; ground zero.

Opposite
epicenter
OriginEnglish center ← Middle English center ← Middle French centre →
RareScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounhypocenter (plural hypocenters)

plural hypocenters

  1. USstandardUS standard spelling of hypocentre, particularly
  2. US standard spelling of hypocentre
    1. governmentThe point on the surface below an atmospheric explosion; ground zero.

      Shigeko Matsumoto was just half a mile from the hypocenter of the explosion, […]

      2026 September 7, Abby Norman, Cara Johnson, “How The Atomic Bombing Of Nagasaki Brought World War 2 To A Violent End”, in All That's Interesting, archived from the original on 09 Sep 2026

      Antonyms: epicenter

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe point on the surface below an atmospheric explosion; ground zero.

Opposite
epicenter

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  2. Ancient Greekῠ̔πό (hŭpó)
  3. Ancient Greekὑπο- (hupo-)
  4. Englishhypo-
  5. Latincentrum
  6. Middle Frenchcentre
  7. Middle Englishcenter
  8. Englishcenter
  9. Englishhypocenter

From hypo- + center.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

nephrocytenecrophytehypocentre
Cite this entry
APA

hypocenter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypocenter

MLA

“hypocenter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypocenter. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypocenter,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypocenter.

Source: hypocenter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.