tropic
Use Tropic in a sentence
ɪk noun
1.
Geography.
a.
either of two corresponding parallels of latitude on the terrestrial globe, one (tropic of Cancer) about 23½° N, and the other (tropic of Capricorn) about 23½° S of the equator, being the boundaries of the Torrid Zone. See diag. under zone.
b.
the tropics, the regions lying between and near these parallels of latitude; the Torrid Zone and neighboring regions.
2.
Astronomy. either of two circles on the celestial sphere, one lying in the same plane as the tropic of Cancer, the other in the same plane as the tropic of capricorn.
adjective
3.
of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or occurring in the tropics; tropical: romance under the tropic skies of Old Mexico.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tropicus < Greek tropikós pertaining to a turn, equivalent to tróp(os) turn + -ikos -ic
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tropicus < Greek tropikós pertaining to a turn, equivalent to tróp(os) turn + -ikos -ic
Related forms
non·trop·ic, adjective
un·trop·ic, adjective
00:10
Tropic
is always a great word to know.
So is binary star. Does it mean:
| one billion years |
| a system of two stars that revolve about a common center of mass |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
-tropic
a combining form with the meanings “turned toward, with an orientation toward” that specified by the initial element (geotropic ), “having an affinity for, affecting” what is specified (lipotropic; neurotropic; psychotropic ), “affecting the activity of, maintaining” a specified organ (gonadotropic ).
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To tropic
Collins
World English Dictionary
tropic (ˈtrɒpɪk) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (sometimes capital) either of the parallel lines of latitude at about 23½°N (tropic of Cancer) and 23½°S (tropic of Capricorn) of the equator |
| 2. | (often capital) the tropics that part of the earth's surface between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn; the Torrid Zone |
| 3. | astronomy either of the two parallel circles on the celestial sphere having the same latitudes and names as the corresponding lines on the earth |
| —adj | |
| 4. | a less common word for tropical |
| [C14: from Late Latin tropicus belonging to a turn, from Greek tropikos, from tropos a turn; from the ancient belief that the sun turned back at the solstices] | |
| -tropic | |
| —adj combining form | |
| turning or developing in response to a certain stimulus: heliotropic | |
| [from Greek tropos a turn; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tropic
c.1391, "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from L.L. tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from L. tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Gk. tropikos "of or pertaining to
a turn or change, or to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice"), from trope "a turning" (see trope). The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1527 to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between these parallels" is from 1837. Tropical "hot and lush like the climate of the tropics" is first attested 1834.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
-tropic suff.
Affecting or attracted to something specified: gonadotropic.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
tropic (trŏp'ĭk) Pronunciation Key
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
They had already concluded the results would be warming, shifting of tropic regions and political upheaval they couldn't control.
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