LOCUS, in Philosophy, a mode of space or that part of immoveable space which any body possesses. See METAPHYSICS, No. 185.

PLACE, in Astronomy. The place of the sun, a star, &c., denotes the sign and degree of the zodiac which the luminary is in; or the degree of the ecliptic, reckoning from the beginning of Aries, which the planet's or star's circle of longitude cuts; and therefore coincides with the longitude of the sun, planet, or star. As the fine of the sun's greatest declination $23^\circ 30'$; to the fine of any present declination given or observed, for instance, $23^\circ 1' 5''$; so is the radius $10$; to the fine of his longitude $81^\circ 52'$; which, if the declination were north, would give $26^\circ 52'$ of Gemini; if south, $25^\circ 52'$ of Capricorn, for the sun's place. See DECLINATION, &c.

The place of the moon being that part of her orbit wherein she is found at any time, is of various kinds, by reason of the great inequalities of the lunar motions, which render a number of equations and reductions necessary before the just point be found. The moon's fictitious place is her place once equated; her place nearly true, is her place twice equated; and her true place thrice equated. See ASTRONOMY, paffion.

PLACE, in War, a general name for all kinds of fortresses where a party may defend themselves. Thus,

1. A strong or fortified place is one flanked, and covered with bastions.

2. A regular place, one whose angles, sides, bastions, and other parts, are equal; and this is usually denominated from the number of its angles, as a pentagon, hexagon, &c.

3. An irregular place is one whose sides and angles are unequal.

4. Place of arms is a strong city or town pitched upon for the chief magazine of an army; or, in a city or garrison, it is a large open spot of ground, usually near the centre of the place where the grand guard is commonly kept, and the garrison holds its rendezvous at reviews, and in cases of alarm to receive orders from the governor.

5. Places of arms of an attack, in a siege, is a spacious place covered from the enemy by a parapet or epaulment, where the soldiers are posted ready to sustain those at work in the trenches against the soldiers of the garrison.

6. Place of arms particular, in a garrison, a place near every bastion, where the soldiers sent from the grand place to the quarters assigned them relieve those that are either upon the guard or in fight.

7. Place of arms without, is a place allowed to the covert way for the planting of cannon, to oblige those who advance in their approaches to retire.

8. Place of arms in a camp, a large place at the head of the camp for the army to be ranged in and drawn up in battalia. There is also a place for each particular body, troop, or company, to assemble in.

Common-PLACE. See COMMON-PLACE.