/ ləʊˈkeɪt; NAmE ˈloʊkeɪt/ verb
1.
[ vn ] to find the exact position of sb/sth :
The mechanic located the fault immediately.
Rescue planes are trying to locate the missing sailors.
2.
[ vn ] to put or build sth in a particular place
SYN site :
They located their headquarters in Swindon.
—compare relocate
3.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] ( especially NAmE ) to start a business in a particular place :
There are tax breaks for businesses that locate in rural areas.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent.: from Latin locat- placed, from the verb locare , from locus place. The original sense was as a legal term meaning let out on hire , later (late 16th cent.) assign to a particular place , then (particularly in North American usage) establish in a place . The sense discover the exact position of dates from the late 19th cent.