tropical

C2 · Proficiency Mathematics Technical

adj. a special kind of math used in geometry and computer science where you add numbers instead of multiplying them.

adj. relating to tropical geometry or tropical semirings, where the standard operations of addition and multiplication are replaced by 'minimum' and 'addition'.

“The researcher used tropical geometry to solve a complex problem in computer science.”

“Tropical geometry provides a powerful framework for translating problems in algebraic geometry into a combinatorial setting using the tropical semiring.”

C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Formal

adj. using words in a way that is not literal, like a metaphor.

adj. pertaining to or involving tropes; used in a figurative or metaphorical sense rather than a literal one.

“The poet used tropical language to describe the sunset as a golden crown.”

“The critic argued that the author's tropical style obscured the underlying message of the essay through excessive use of metaphor.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a plant that naturally grows in a hot, wet climate.

n. a plant species indigenous to or characteristic of the tropics.

“The greenhouse was filled with colorful tropicals that couldn't survive the cold winter outside.”

“The botanical garden features a dedicated pavilion for tropicals, maintaining the high temperatures required for the orchids and ferns to thrive.”