tropic

B2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈtɹɒpɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #29955

Meanings

1

noun
One of two imaginary lines around the Earth, north and south of the equator, marking the edges of the hottest region.

The ship crossed the Tropic of Cancer at noon.
2

adj
Belonging to or typical of the hot region near the equator.

They sailed through warm tropic waters.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · belonging to or typical of... tropical

Word family

Forms tropics

Derived forms dual-tropicintertropicalsemitropicalsubtropicalsubtropicstropical

Related forms tropetropismtropo-

Etymology

From Late Latin tropicus (“of or pertaining to the solstice, as a noun, one of the tropics”), from Ancient Greek τροπικός (tropikós, “of or pertaining to a turn or change; or the solstice; or a trope or figure; tropic; tropical; etc.”), from τροπή (tropḗ, “turn; solstice; trope”).

*trep- Proto-Indo-European tropicus la-lat τροπικός Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

External links

# tropic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɹɒpɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 29955

## Meanings
1. One of two imaginary lines around the Earth, north and south of the equator, marking the edges of the hottest region.
2. Belonging to or typical of the hot region near the equator.

## Examples
- The ship crossed the Tropic of Cancer at noon.
- They sailed through warm tropic waters.

## Derived Forms
- dual-tropic
- intertropical
- semitropical
- subtropical
- subtropics
- tropical

## Related Forms
- trope
- tropism
- tropo-

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *trep-
- Root: tropicus
- Root: τροπικός

## Etymology
From Late Latin tropicus (“of or pertaining to the solstice, as a noun, one of the tropics”), from Ancient Greek τροπικός (tropikós, “of or pertaining to a turn or change; or the solstice; or a trope or figure; tropic; tropical; etc.”), from τροπή (tropḗ, “turn; solstice; trope”).

## AI Etymology
Tropic is from Late Latin tropicus (“of or pertaining to the solstice, as a noun, one of the tropics”), from Ancient Greek τροπικός (tropikós, “of or pertaining to a turn or change; or the solstice; or a trope or figure; tropic; tropical; etc.”), from τροπή (tropḗ, “turn; solstice; trope”). In present-day use, it can mean one of two imaginary lines around the Earth, north and south of the equator, marking the edges of the hottest region, or belonging to or typical of the hot region near the equator. Derived formations include dual-tropic, intertropical, semitropical, subtropical, subtropics, tropical.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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