trope

¹

[ trohp ]

noun

1. Rhetoric.
   1. any literary or rhetorical device, as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, that consists in the use of words in other than their literal sense.
   2. an instance of this. Compare figure of speech.
2. a phrase, sentence, or verse formerly interpolated in a liturgical text to amplify or embellish.
3. 1. a recurring theme or motif, as in literature or art: the heroic trope.

      the trope of motherhood;

      the heroic trope.

   2. a convention or device that establishes a predictable or stereotypical representation of a character, setting, or scenario in a creative work: The author relies on our knowledge of the Haunted House trope to set the scene.

      From her introduction in the movie, the character is nothing but a Damsel in Distress trope.

      The author relies on our knowledge of the Haunted House trope to set the scene.

4. (in the philosophy of Santayana) the principle of organization according to which matter moves to form an object during the various stages of its existence.

-trope

²

1. a combining form meaning “one turned toward” that specified by the initial element ( heliotrope ); also occurring in concrete nouns that correspond to abstract nouns ending in -tropy or -tropism:

   allotrope.

-trope

¹

combining form

1. indicating a turning towards, development in the direction of, or affinity to

   heliotrope

trope

²

/ trəʊp /

noun

1. rhetoric a word or expression used in a figurative sense
2. an interpolation of words or music into the plainsong settings of the Roman Catholic liturgy

Word History and Origins

Origin of trope¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin tropus “figure in rhetoric, manner of singing” from Greek trópos “turn, manner, style, figure of speech,” akin to trépein “to turn, direct, show”

Origin of trope²

< Greek -tropos; trope, tropo-

Word History and Origins

Origin of trope¹

from Greek tropos a turn

Origin of trope²

C16: from Latin tropus figurative use of a word, from Greek tropos style, turn; related to trepein to turn

Example Sentences

As such, they emphatically demonstrate the accuracy of the “no risk to public” trope.

From The Daily Beast

It is a common trope in pop culture, be it movies or TV, that straight men loooove girl-on-girl action.

From The Daily Beast

To what extent she is trapped in an eternal royal trope or willing participant is only something she knows.

From The Daily Beast

And a stock trope, the “bed trick,” that many of the nerds watching probably knew dates back to the legend of King Arthur.

From The Daily Beast

How contrived that Modern Family would end its season finale with the tried-and-true sitcom trope: a wedding.

From The Daily Beast

It's a hard word, but I've sure-ly heard her say he-li-o-trope sach-et.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus the rhetorical trope which is called surprise, is similar to that of music termed the declining of a cadence.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus, in trying to account for her to himself, did the honest Lackaday flounder from trope to metaphor.

From Project Gutenberg

Allegoria, the seconde parte of Trope is an inuersion of wordes, where it is one in wordes, and another in sentence or meanynge.

From Project Gutenberg

Though we could well have spared that Kembleian dying trope, his rising up and falling again.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• figure
• idea
• impression
• notion
• perception
• thought
• vision