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topical

[top-i-kuhl]

adjective

pertaining to or dealing with matters of current or local interest: a topical reference.

pertaining to the subject of a discourse, composition, or the like.

of a place; local.

Medicine/Medical. of, pertaining to, or applied externally to a particular part of the body; local: a topical anesthetic.

noun

Philately. any of a collection of different stamps treating the same subject.

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Topical is always a great word to know.

So is femur. Does it mean:

the bone of the lower jaw.

a bone in the human leg extending from the pelvis to the knee, that is the longest, largest, and strongest in the body; thighbone.

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Origin:
1580–90; < Greek topik(ós) local, pertaining to commonplaces (see topo-, -ic) + -al¹

Related forms

top·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To topical

Example Sentences

Topical medications are those applied only to the surface of the body.

The topical focus of many interdisciplinary schemes may well also lead to fragmentation.

On the topical question of the future of the euro zone, one in five businesspeople thinks the currency union will split.

EXPAND

Topical medications are those applied only to the surface of the body.

The topical focus of many interdisciplinary schemes may well also lead to fragmentation.

On the topical question of the future of the euro zone, one in five businesspeople thinks the currency union will split.

Topical subjects such as climate change and genetic engineering are given particular attention.

More relevant and topical than ever, it is a powerful tool for forward-thinking readers.

My mother, a nurse, kept a bottle of this astringent around as a topical treatment for everything from acne to hemorrhoids.

Yes, there are topical applications that mask the odor emanating from your kicks.

They are being investigated in oral forms as well as in topical forms that are applied directly to the gum.

Picked a topical thesis subject field even to postion myself better, not some hobby horse project.

Gaullism is also topical thanks to a revival of statism.

Please respect my request to keep the conversation useful, productive and topical.

EA injected a topical morality play of a plot centering on the dangers of military privatization and war for profit.

Over-the-counter topical anesthetics may provide modest relief.

The plan is to record the topical shows late in the afternoon or evening, so that they are ready for download each morning.

The dentist may apply a topical anesthetic to numb the area before beginning the procedure.

Wash the wound thoroughly, treat the wound with a topical anti-bacterial medicine and/or see a doctor.

There are topical treatments and supplements as well.

Cameron's cautionary tale of resource wars and indigenous revolt, years in the making, proved utterly topical.

Most healthy patients receive either a local injection or topical anesthetic.

Futurama's comeback sixth season has been routinely punctuated by deep geek jokes and topical satire.

Guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis with topical therapies.

Creation of innovative topical art-language, which is producing for pure art, but not for a money.

These problems can be managed with topical fluoride treatments or, in severe cases, with dental restoration.

That's a fair point, but you have to stretch to make it topical sometimes.

Some doctors recommend that patients try a topical application of lidocaine to see if it helps ease pain.

It's a message kids might miss, but a potent, topical theme that will surely ring with adults.

Sometimes a mild, topical corticosteroid cream may be used.

The genetically created resistance to corn borers reduces the need for topical pesticides.

They say this burning, plus the ingestion or topical application of different desert plants and roots, still cures many things.

Recent studies have also suggested that a topical cream based on the beverage may help fend off skin cancer.

The good news is that topical application of caffeine inhibits the formation of skin tumors in mice.

New methods, from topical creams to ultraviolet-light treatments to surgery, may offer relief for a skin disorder.

Not treatable as an eye condition with an eye ointment or a topical ointment in the proximity to the.

As always, if you come across some topical puzzles or wordplay.

Wills sings a number of topical songs, and incites cheerful people to laugh with some heartiness.

Ebbesmeyer's story provided here, with a topical history that loops back on itself more than once over time.

Even when you do get a topical hit in a library catalog, the information-consumption process is slow end-to-end.

Maritain beginning a comparatively topical discussion with the customary appeal to the authority of the.

As always if you come across some topical puzzles or wordplay.

It's a play that once again proves that one of the best ways to be topical is to look to the past.

One is that it pokes mild fun at horror movies, which gives it the faintest hint of topical wit.

It brings instruction, it brings delight, and it also brings a terror that is all too topical.

People with liver disease should discuss using topical psoralens, because oral forms may have adverse effects on the liver.

The standard treatment for four decades has been the use of topical steroids.

Both have been widely used as topical antiseptics, applied to the surface of the skin of a living body.

But one of the nice things about such topical collections is that there are no rules.

And these are the two main properties that companies are trying to transfer into topical lotions and potions.

Caputo moves the narrative along, and the result is an inventive and topical psychological thriller".

Some television and movie producers are trying to stay topical by addressing the economic turmoil.

The series features topical discussions with experts, health and fitness advice, and interviews with entertainment celebrities.

Where it is meant to be exactly is never explained from the screen, and that rather leaves the picture without any topical teeth.

The relative subtlety of the lyrics made the topical movement aesthetically self-conscious.

Anand said, including giving topical anesthetics or even concentrated sucrose solutions.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

topical (ˈtɒpɪk^əl)

—*adj*
1.	of, relating to, or constituting current affairs
2.	relating to a particular place; local
3.	of or relating to a topic or topics
4.	(of a drug, ointment, etc) for application to the body surface; local

topicality

—n

'topically

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

topical top·i·cal (tŏp'ĭ-kəl)
adj.
Of or applied to a definite or localized area of the body.

top'i·cal·ly adv.

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