ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tropic

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈtɹɑpɪk// trop·ic Archaic

n. a line on a map that marks the farthest point a tropical storm or heat can reach. It is also used to describe a style of writing or art that focuses on the physical world and nature.

n. a line of latitude marking the northern or southern limit of the region where the sun is directly overhead at noon. In a literary context, it refers to a style or genre that emphasizes the physical and sensory aspects of the natural world.


SIMPLE

The storm stayed well south of the tropic.

CONTEXTUAL

The author's work is a classic example of the tropic, focusing heavily on the sensory details of the jungle.

COMPLEX

While the meteorologist tracked the system's movement toward the tropic, the poet used the same term to describe his own fascination with the raw, unfiltered experiences of the natural world.

Synonyms
Origin

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”).

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