topo-

Topo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “place” or “local.” It is often used in scientific and other technical terms.

Topo- comes from the Greek tópos, meaning “place” or “commonplace.” Commonplace? Yep, discover why at our entry here. The word topic also ultimately comes from the Greek tópos.

What are variants of topo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, topo- becomes top-, as in topalgia.

One term you may have encountered that uses topo- is topology, a branch of mathematics that concerns the properties of geometric forms that aren’t affected by bending, stretching, and other such transformations.

The first part of the word, topo-, means “place.” What about -logy? The second part, -logy, comes from the Greek lógos, meaning “word” and is widely used in English to indicate an area of study. Topology literally means “place study” (think spatial relations).

You have probably heard of a topographical map, which provides a detailed picture of the physical features of an area, such as a city. Topography ultimately comes from the Greek topographía, featuring the Greek forms of topo- and -graphy and literally meaning “place drawing.”

What are some words that use the combining form topo-?

• topochemistry
• topolect
• toponarcosis
• topotype

What are some other forms that topo- may be commonly confused with?

• tropho-
• tropo-
• typo-

Chemistry is the study of the composition and properties of substances and matter.

Based on the meaning of topo-, can you guess what topochemistry specifically studies?